Be Who We Are
by amazonziti
Summary: Over Spring Break, Troy finds himself facing some tough decisions regarding his extracurriculars. Luckily, he's got someone waiting for him at home. TroyGabriella. Chapter Six: Troy and Chad have a conversation. WIP.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Be Who We Are ( 1 ? )

Author: Sugar Shadow-Thing (sugarshadowthing at gmail dot com)

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella, others TBD

Rating: PG-13 for now, light R soon

Disclaimer: If _High School Musical_ were mine, that scene with Zac Efron shirtless would have been a heck of a lot longer. Also there would have been some proper Troy/Gabriella smoochies. None of this interruption business. Point: I own only my plotline.

Summary: While on vacation with his family, Troy finds himself faced with some difficult decisions. Luckily he has someone waiting for him at home.

Word Count: 4,700. (11 ½ pages, single-spaced.)

Timeline: This is meant to take place during Spring Break (i.e., late March/early April) of 2006. _Twinkle Towne_ has recently wrapped. The Spring musical will be announced when everybody gets back from vacation. I interpreted the hints in the movie to mean that Troy made starting varsity as a sophomore (tenth grade) and was elected team Captain/play-maker for the beginning of his junior year (eleventh grade), and that the movie took place during winter of said junior year. Thus: all of the relevant high schoolers are sixteen going on seventeen, or seventeen already.

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Troy Bolton stood out on the tiny iron-wrought balcony of his hotel room and felt ungrateful. He was probably one of the only people in the world who, given a choice between two and a half weeks in Paris, France, and two and a half weeks in Albuquerque, New Mexico, would pick Albuquerque in a heartbeat.

It wasn't that he didn't like Paris. Paris was awesome. Neither was it that he didn't like spending so much time with his family, because he did. Troy and his father and mother were in Paris for Spring Break, and it had been good to have some time together, just the three of them. Back in Albuquerque, Mrs. Jack Bolton spent most of her time as Laura Hannigan, Esq., with little room in her busy schedule for family bonding; and Troy was quite certain that his father, despite the man's promises to the contrary, remained uncomfortable both with his son's recent forays into the world of musical theatre, and with the girl who accompanied him there.

The girl! That was why Troy wished he could be home. Gabriella Montez, Troy's girlfriend, best friend, and costar in the recently-wrapped (and horribly named) musical _Twinkle Towne_, was back at home in Albuquerque, and Troy found himself sulking through Paris because of it.

The vacation was hardly a miserable one. It was fun to wander the city by himself, exercising six years' worth of French classes. It was fun to eat so much good food – not just at the amazing restaurants but at the innumerable stands on the street selling everything from delicious frites in paper cones to crépes spread with Nutella. It was fun to go shopping to his heart's content (a secret Troy would keep from his Wildcat teammates if his life depended on it). It was fun to wander into a piercing parlor on an impulse that hopefully Troy could hide from his dad until he was eighteen. Troy liked the sight-seeing, the museums, the parks, the music, the Metro – but he couldn't stop thinking that he'd like it so much more if Gabriella were there with him.

Troy sighed, casting his steady blue gaze over the square below. Across from the Hôtel Henri IV there was a small café; briefly Troy considered tripping downstairs with a book and setting up camp there for the afternoon. The owners of the café had taken a bit of a shine to Troy, especially since he'd taken a bit of a shine to their dog, an elderly, more-than-slightly aromatic Golden Retriever named Madeline. They wouldn't mind his taking up a table for a few hours, even if all he ordered was coffee and a snack. It looked like it might rain this afternoon, so if Troy were to go out walking, there wouldn't be much point in going far. Hm.

The café it was, then. Troy went inside, closing the doors to the balcony behind him. He picked up his denim jacket, as it was a little cool outside; his book (_Ender's Game_, on Gabriella's recommendation); his iPod, in case the book got boring; some loose change, enough Euro for an afternoon of sitting; and – where was it? Ah. Troy's most prized possession while a quadrillion miles away from Gabriella: his phone card. One of the other bonuses of the café was that there were several payphones in the back. Troy had burnt through two phone cards already.

Troy popped into his parents' hotel room on his way downstairs to let them know where he'd be for the afternoon. Jack Bolton offered a grunt and nod, caught up as he was in the Sports Section of a three-day-old _New York Times_. Troy's mother, curled up next to her husband with a Margaret Atwood novel, paused in her reading to give Troy a knowing look and a smile. Maybe he hadn't been as stealthy with the phone calls as he'd thought.

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"It's my eighth-grade class ring! It has sentimental value!"

"Value, shmalue." The phone connection was strong today, no fade or static; Gabby sounded so close! "I don't care what you say about it, it's still a – a straight-boy man-ring!"

Troy chuckled, holding the phone with his left hand and holding up his right before him, the better to study the bulky gem on his ring finger. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would it be better if it were a gay-boy man-ring?"

An exasperated sigh. "Paris is the fashion capital of the world. Haven't any concerned citizens mobbed you yet and yanked that thing off your hand?"

"Ha ha. You've got me rolling in the aisles, here, Gabby."

"That's what I was going for!" A pause, and then Gabriella sighed again. "Hey, Troy."

"Speaking."

"Are you home yet?"

Aw, man. "You know I wish I were."

"Am I being too whiny? I don't want to be, you know, the whiny girlfriend. You're in Paris! You should be having a blast, not listening to me languishing."

"Hey, don't talk about my girlfriend that way." Gabriella's reluctant laugh made Troy smile. "If it'll make you feel better I can be the whiny boyfriend. I can languish with the best of 'em."

More genuine laughter this time. "God, I miss you."

"Jeez." Now it was Troy's turn to sigh wistfully. "Me too. I mean, I don't miss me, I miss you." Troy looked up and saw, out of the front windows of the café, his father striding across the square towards him. "Uh… Gabby, can I call you back later? My dad's coming over here and he looks kinda pissed."

"Sure. I'll talk to you soon." Then the usual slightly awkward pause, where one and then the other of them would have said 'I love you' if Troy weren't such a chicken and had said it like a month ago. "Um… Bye, Troy."

"Bye, Gabby."

Troy hung up just as Jack Bolton opened the door to the café and came inside. Jack spotted Troy standing in the back and beckoned him over. Obediently, Troy went.

"What's up, Dad?"

Jack huffed angrily. "I don't know how to tell you this, son, but it looks like we're going home early. Tomorrow, in fact."

Troy's eyes widened. "We _are_?" He had to struggle to keep the huge grin off his face. "I mean, oh. We are." Frown, Troy, frown. Get your head in the game!

"Ch'. Yeah!" Jack was too indignant to notice his son's slip-up. "Your mom's job. Someone's getting indicted. Or convicted. Or subpoenaed. How the heck should I know? But the firm just called the hotel. They want her back right away." He put his hands on his hips and made his exasperated-Coach growling noise. A pause, and then: "Unless, maybe, you and me could stay."

"Uh…" Stay in Paris for the rest of the week with his dad, with no Mom to break up the you're-not-a-singer-you're-a-playmaker talks before they could even start? No thanks. "Don't you think that might be kinda weird, Dad?" Troy said, floundering.

Luckily, Jack nodded, resigned. "Yeah, just an idea." He heaved a huge sigh and thumped his son on the shoulder. "C'mon, buddy. Let's go get packed."

"Um, just a sec, Dad. I just wanna make a quick phone call…" Troy turned toward the back of the café, but his father's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Are you going to call That Gabriella Girl?" Jack Bolton had never entirely managed to whittle it down to a simple 'Gabriella' or 'your girlfriend', and routinely made a masterpiece of exasperation out of Gabriella's full title. "Because we've got a full afternoon, son. She can wait til you get home."

"Yeah, but Dad, I just want to let her know—"

"Not _now_, Troy. I want you to go get packed."

Troy could feel the angry rant, ready to explode from the back of his throat. (What difference will five minutes make? Why won't you see that my joining the musical was never her "fault" in the first place? How is it possible for you not to see the Gabriella that I see? Why can't you just suck it up and be happy that I'm happy?) But he coughed it back just like he always did. "Fine, Dad." He pushed past his father to the café door, and stalked out onto the square.

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The next day was an exercise in tension. Normally, Troy was better than this at brushing his frustration with his father to the side, but he was just so fed up with his dad's stubborn refusal to accept Gabriella! The night before, Troy had assembled and packed all of his stuff in under an hour – but Jack hadn't let him return to the café, and for once Laura was too preoccupied with her own packing to help defuse the situation.

Now they were at their gate in the airport, waiting for the plane to start boarding, and Troy could hardly stand to look at his dad. Troy hadn't been allowed to call Gabby today, either, never mind the fact that they'd gotten to the gate an hour early for their flight, just as Troy's mother had planned. Jack insisted that Troy shouldn't "go wandering off" to a pay phone; they should all stay together, just in case. Troy could _see_ the bank of phones from where he was sitting! It was infuriating.

"So, Troy," Jack said, breaking Troy out of his sulk. "I was thinking – since we're coming home so early, got a week left of Spring Break, how about we invite the team over to the house, get some extra practice in?"

If Gabriella were here, she'd put one small hand on Troy's forearm and murmur, "C'mon, Troy. Count to ten." Count to ten. Right. Because it would be bad to fly into a crazy screaming fit in the middle of a French airport half an hour before getting on a twelve-hour flight.

One, two, three… "Um, I dunno, Dad," Troy said through gritted teeth. "We don't have any big games coming up, and the guys are on vacation. Maybe we should just give it a rest til school starts." If the Wildcats' Coach managed to organize one practice, he'd add five more. Aside from simply wanting some time alone with Gabriella, Troy had been finding it hard to get as excited about basketball as he once had. The three standard practices a week were fine, but Coach Bolton had never limited himself or the team to a mere six hours. Free periods, after school, on weekends – to Troy's dad, free time equaled basketball time, even after the Championship game, when Troy had been juggling the Winter Musicale, too.

"Aw, come on, play-maker," Jack said jovially, oblivious to his son's lack of enthusiasm. "Gotta stay in shape, right? Keep your head in the game! Especially now you've got that musical business out of your system—"

"—Wait, what?"

"—we can get back to a normal practice schedule, like we did before Christmas vacation. Man, I can't wait to get the team back on the court."

"Wait, Dad." Count to ten, Troy. "What do you mean, 'out of my system'?"

Jack looked surprised, turning in his seat to stare Troy in the face. "What I _mean_ is, you did your stage thing. _Twinkle Towne_ is over! Back to normal, hey, son?"

Troy felt his mouth working incredulously, but was struggling to actually make the words come out. "What? No! Dad, singing wasn't a phase for me, all right? It's part of who I am."

"But—you—"

"Look, Dad. What if—what if I let you play _one game_ of basketball? One single game. And then turned around and said, 'Well, there you go, got it out of your system now, get back in the suit and tie!' Would that work for you? Could you let it all go?"

Jack stared wide-eyed at his son, clearly taken aback.

"Singing – music – being onstage – it means a lot to me, Dad. Don't try to make me give it up. _Please_."

"Well—but—son—"

"Come on, boys." Troy's mother, back from the ladies' room, stood over her husband and son, one eyebrow arched. "They're calling business class. That's us. Let's go!"

"Coming, Mom." Troy didn't look at his father as he slung his backpack over one shoulder and his duffle bag over the other. As Jack stayed seated for a moment, getting their tickets out of his bag, Laura walked Troy up to the gate.

"Okay, what now? I leave you boys alone for five minutes…"

"It's not important, Mom. Nothing new, at least." Troy peered down at his mother, tossing his bangs out of his eyes. "But, hey. Would you mind sitting between us?"

"Oh, Troy."

"Pretty please? Sugar on top?"

"For the love of—" Laura met her son's pleading gaze and sighed. "Fine! Fine. But once we're home it's up to you two to work this stuff out for yourselves. This buffer has other things to do with her time."

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The Boltons' plane landed at five o'clock, but the family didn't actually get back to the house until seven. It had been a challenge, avoiding conversation with his father for fourteen hours straight, but nobody had ever said that Troy Bolton wasn't a talented boy. Jack was looking a little irritated, but Troy was hopeful that, given a good night's sleep, his dad might let the fight go this time.

Troy dragged his luggage upstairs to his room and dumped it unceremoniously on the floor. Unpacking could wait until tomorrow – he had more important things to take care of right now. Troy sat on his bed with a thump and unplugged his cell phone from where it had been charging on his bedside table for the last week and a half.

Speed Dial 1. Troy clutched the phone to his ear and fell backwards onto his pillows. A few rings, and then:

"Troy?"

Troy exhaled in contentment. "Hey, Gabby."

"Hey! It took you long enough to call back, basketball boy."

"Oh, you know. Some stuff came up." Troy smiled up at the ceiling.

"Hm." A pause. "Hey, Troy. Didn't you say you were leaving your cell phone at home?"

"See? They don't call you freaky genius girl for nothing." Troy bit his lip and waited. He could almost see Gabby, that concentrated look she got on her face when she was figuring something out.

"What! No way! You're not—you're _home_?"

"Are you free for dinner?"

"Oh my _God_!" Gabriella had gone high-pitched in her glee. "You're home!"

"I'm home."

"So—do you want to—should I—what are you—"

Troy interrupted before Gabriella could stutter herself into a fit. "I'll be at your place in fifteen minutes."

That gorgeous laughter trickled into Troy's heart and made itself at home there. "Okay. I'll order pizza."

"Half pepperoni, half mushroom?"

"You know it, Wildcat."

"Okay. Fifteen minutes, then."

"See you."

"Bye." Smiling softly, Troy flipped his phone closed and indulged in a long, full-body stretch on his bed. A delicate cough had him looking up to see his mother leaning against the doorframe. "Hey, Mom."

"So I gather you'll not be gracing us with your presence this evening."

Troy blushed. "Uh, no. I'm going over to Gabriella's."

"Mm. I see." Laura crossed her arms and gave Troy a considering look. "Do the boys know you're home yet?"

Troy got up and went over to his closet. Best to change before going to see Gabby; he'd been in these clothes for what seemed like forever. "Chad and the guys? Nah. I'll call 'em tomorrow. Or maybe the day after." Laura chuckled. "What?"

"I'll make sure your father doesn't call the team over until he talks to you first."

"Oh, wow." Troy turned his back towards his mother, took off his battered Wildcats 2005 T-shirt and pulled a long-sleeved blue sweater over his head instead. "Yeah. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome."

"I thought you said you weren't going to be a buffer anymore? Look away, Mom, I'm changing my pants."

Laura turned to face into the hallway as Troy swapped his jeans for a clean pair. "Yes, well. You spent most of Paris moping; I figure you need a few fun days before you start moping here, as well."

Troy laughed, a little bitterly. "Yeah. Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"What do you think Dad will say when I tell him I'm trying out for the Spring musical?"

"What's it going to be?"

"I'm decent, Mom." Troy sat on his bed to tie his sneakers. "Ms. Darbus hasn't announced it yet, but does it really matter? I want to do it again – the singing, the acting, the practices… All of it."

Laura's steady gaze followed Troy as he dashed around the room, collecting a jacket, his wallet, his keys, his phone. "I honestly don't know, Troy. All I can tell you is that I think you and your dad both would benefit from talking this one out."

Troy raised his eyebrows dubiously. "I'll take that under advisement. Okay, Mom, gotta go."

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Gabriella opened the front door before Troy could even knock, and unhesitatingly launched herself into his arms. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, staggering briefly before hugging her back.

"It is _so good_ to have you home," Gabriella said, muffled by Troy's shoulder, and then squeaked "Oh!" as Troy added an extra-tight squeeze.

"I missed you too." Troy bent his head to rest his cheek on Gabriella's soft brown hair. He closed his eyes, the better to feel her slender arms tight around his waist, her slight body pressed up against his, the warmth of her breath against his shoulder through his shirt. "I really, really missed you."

"Mm." Gabby leaned back just a little to look up into Troy's face. Troy smiled down at her. When she looked at him like that, there really wasn't anything for him to do other than kiss her. Her lips were soft and a little dry against his; her hands traveled up his arms and shoulders to twine together at the nape of his neck. Troy let his own hands slide down her spine, pausing for a moment to tickle at the outline of her bra clasp, and settled at the dip of her waist, which always felt like it had been made exactly for him to hold.

Gabriella sighed against Troy's mouth, and Troy let another fraction of the tension he'd accumulated during the trip to Paris slip away. Man, was Gabby a good kisser. She pressed forward against Troy's chest, and Troy felt his back hit the doorframe. Reluctantly, he pulled away. "C'mon, let's go inside," he said. "Much as I like it, we can't just make out in your front door all evening."

"Spoilsport." Gabby pouted at him.

"C'mon," Troy wheedled, taking Gabby's hands from behind his neck and bringing them up between the two of them. "The pizza will be here soon, and we can watch a movie and make out on your couch instead."

Gabriella cocked her head at him, giving Troy the look he _knew_ meant she thought he was the cutest thing since teddy bears and bunny rabbits. Then she shook her head, smiling, and led Troy inside.

"Go on, sit down," Gabriella said once they were in the kitchen. Gratefully Troy sat at one of the stools around the butcher-block island in the middle of the room. "When did you get back?"

Troy laughed. "About five seconds before I called you." At Gabby's incredulous look he said, "No joke! We got to the house, I brought my stuff upstairs, and I called you. Aw, crap! I have presents for you, but I left 'em at home," he added.

"Presents? Plural?" Gabriella asked. She fetched some glasses from a cupboard and filled them both with ice. "I like presents. The delay is regrettable, but we'll let it slide this one time."

"We will, will we?" Troy put his elbows on the countertop and propped his chin in one hand, watching Gabriella contentedly. She was only wearing Capri-length velour sweats and a tatty white undershirt and she didn't have any makeup on, but Troy thought she was prettier without anyway. That combined with her loose, tousled hair made her look as if she'd just got out of bed, and _that_ took Troy's brain to interesting places.

"Yes. That's the Royal 'We', by the way," Gabby retorted. "What would you like to drink? And how long have you been traveling for?"

"Juice, please," said Troy, and when Gabby held up two different cartons, added, "Cranberry. Fourteen hours, about."

"Poor baby." Gabby poured them both cranberry juice and put the carton back in the fridge before coming to perch on the stool next to Troy. Coyly, she scooted closer. "Fourteen hours. Jeez."

"Give or take. A couple hours to get to the airport and to the gate, twelve in the air, a couple hours' layover in Texas, then a couple hours to get home home."

"Sixteen hours, then? Seventeen?"

"Ugh. And it was extra-specially fun, seeing as I haven't talked to my dad since we left Paris."

Gabriella put down her glass and laid one of her hands on top of Troy's. "You guys have another fight?"

"Yeah. He wouldn't let me call you back to tell you we were coming home…"

With a shrug, Gabby said, "Yeah, that's lame, but I have to say it was a nice surprise. What'd you really fight about?"

Troy glared into his juice. "Well, I was mad about him not letting me call you to start with. He—well—you know he doesn't like you. But it's not for any good reason." He looked into Gabby's sympathetic brown eyes earnestly. "It's because he doesn't like that we did the Musicale, and he thinks that you're the one who _made_ me do it."

"I know." Gabriella patted his hand. "To be fair, you probably wouldn't have auditioned if it weren't for me."

"No, but—he thinks you turned me into something I shouldn't be. He thinks… he thinks you, you know, tempted me to the dark side."

"With my womanly wiles?"

"Yeah, them. He thinks that if I'd never met you, I wouldn't want this music so much. Or at all. But, Gabby, he's wrong. If I hadn't met you, I might not have tried out, but I'd be wishing I had! You didn't make me want to sing, you just made me brave enough to try."

Gabriella blushed and bit at her bottom lip. "Oh, Troy." She peered up at him through her lashes. "You make me brave, too."

Troy looked at their clasped hands on the countertop and smiled. "Yeah, I know. I love singing with you. But my dad—right, for one, he blames you for my trying out for the musical, and for another, he thinks it's over now!"

Gabby blinked. "Over?"

"He thinks _Twinkle Towne_ was a phase. He wants his play-maker son back. He's talking about organizing basketball practices at home this week, and stepping it up again once we get back to school." Gabby was watching Troy uncertainly. "I don't know what to do. I love the game, you know I do, but I don't want things to go back to 'normal'. I like _this_ normal just fine."

"You mean, doing both basketball and the musical?"

"Yeah. You know, after the Championship game, when we got a break in basketball?"

"You call _that_ schedule he had you on a 'break'?" Gabby's eyes were wide.

Troy barked a laugh. "Yeah. I liked doing the Musicale, and being able to balance all the different parts of my life a little better – music, basketball, school… and you." He grinned at Gabriella, who blushed again. "I want to keep doing that. I want to audition for the Spring musical, and do my schoolwork and _some_ basketball. I just don't want it ruling my life again." Troy stiffened. "Whoa! Brainstorm."

"Share the epiphany, Wildcat," Gabby said, watching his expressions intently.

"This is just an idea," Troy said warily. "But—what if I called up the team and we voted on a new Captain?"

Gabby stared. "Wow."

"I bet Chad would make a great Captain," Troy said with enthusiasm. "He's the one who always gets us pumped up, anyway, not me. And I bet there are seniors on the team who'd be better playmakers than me, too. Oh, wow, Gabriella, this might work!"

"But… Don't you _want_ to be Wildcat Captain?" Gabby asked, concerned.

Troy shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I was really excited when they voted me in—I mean, my first year I was the youngest player on the team, it was a big deal, and then I got voted Captain for my junior year? It was really cool that they thought that highly of me. And they didn't do it just because I was the Coach's son, you know? I definitely earned my Captaincy. But it's a big responsibility. Dad expects so much of me anyway, and being Captain on top of his high standards is really tough. You saw how they all were during auditions. I have to set the bar for the rest of the team. I can't have anything in my life be more important than the team, or the game. Maybe basketball was top priority in my life back in September, but it's not anymore." Troy tossed his bangs back out of his eyes and looked at Gabriella. "What do you think? Do I sound crazy?"

Gabby smiled that gentle smile. Troy let himself float in it for a minute before she started to speak. "You don't sound crazy, Troy. I just don't want you to give this up, and find yourself regretting it a month later, you know?"

"I know." Troy sighed. "I just feel like if I stay Captain, basketball is going to become a burden, and I don't want that. I want to keep loving the game."

"Why don't you think about it for a while?" Gabriella suggested. "Another day or so, at least. And maybe talk it over with Chad before you bring it before the entire team."

Troy smiled. "That's a good idea. Thanks, Gabby." They sipped at their juice in comfortable silence for a few minutes before the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that's gonna be the pizza." Gabby hopped down from her seat and headed towards the front door.

"Gabby, hold on – I brought some money—"

"Psh. Troy, you know your money's no good here." Gabby grinned and winked.

"But…"

"Troy, you brought me presents from overseas, never mind that you left them at home," Gabby said. "Let me treat you to pizza."

Reluctantly, Troy acquiesced, and in a little while they were sitting on the floor in Gabriella's living room, leaning against the couch and eating pizza from the giant box on the coffee table.

Troy folded his pepperoni slice in half and held it up, tapping it against Gabriella's mushroom slice in a mockery of a toast. "To the Spring musical," he said.

"To the Spring basketball season," Gabby countered.

"To Spring," Troy finished, firmly, and grinned. Gabby grinned back and they each took a careful bite of their steaming hot slices.

"Oh, and by the way," Gabriella said later, gingerly picking a stray bit of pepperoni off of her slice, "Ms. Darbus told Sharpay, who told Ryan, who told Kelsi, who told Jason, who told Chad, who told Taylor, who told me, what the spring musical is going to be."

Troy looked up, intrigued. "Oh, yeah? Spill!"

Gabby licked a drop of grease off her hand and told him. Troy laughed. "Oh, there is no way we're missing out on that!" he exclaimed.

"I thought you'd say so," Gabby said slyly, "so I took the liberty of procuring the DVD for tonight's entertainment."

"Go ahead, pop it in!" Troy said. Gabriella got up to do just that, and then came back to nestle up against Troy's side. Troy put down his last pizza crust and slid an arm around Gabby's shoulders, pulling her closer to him, and they settled in to watch the movie.

Troy leant his head back and sighed, relaxing properly for the first time since he'd left for Paris. At last, he was home.

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FIN

Chapter 1

first posted March 6, 2007

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I would definitely love to know what you think – particularly in regard to whether or not I should continue this. I have ideas for a longer story, which will of course explore the following themes: -- What will the Spring musical be? (There's a hint, just not a very good one.) – Will Troy remain Wildcat Captain, or will he give it up for love of the game? – What will Coach Bolton do when he finds out that this "musical business" really isn't just a phase? What evil plans might Sharpay hatch to ensure that she gets the part she wants in the Spring musical? Will Troy get up the nerve to say "I love you" to Gabriella? Will that ugly straight-boy man-ring ever go? What, exactly, went on in that piercing parlor in Paris? Will this fic remain PG-13 all the way through?

And for the record: the flight time from Paris to Albuquerque (twelve hours, give or take, with a Texas layover) ought to be accurate; and poor Troy is more tired than we know, being as Paris is eight hours ahead of New Mexico. The Hotel Henri IV is a real hotel (I stayed there in Spring of 2005). The square it's on is real, too; it's called the Place Dauphin, on the opposite end of the Île de la Cité from Notre Dame, and directly across the footbridge from La Samaritaine, which, when not under construction, is an immensely fun department store in which to browse and shop. The café and the dog are real, though I can't remember if the dog is really named Madeline or not.

I'm looking for a beta, too – someone as neurotic about grammar, syntax, canon, plotline, continuity and flow than I am. If you're the kind of person who thinks that _Eats, Shoots, and Leaves_ is a jolly funny read, you and I will get along like a house on fire. Please email me at sugarshadowthing at gmail dot com if you're interested. And even if betaing isn't your thing, any and all constructive criticism in regard to any part of the fic is welcome.

Shall the carnage continue? Holidays are over, people – _way_ over! Now. Any more comments? Questions?


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Be Who We Are ( 2/? )

Author: The Amazon Ziti / Sugar Shadow-Thing

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella, others TBD

Rating: Light R to be safe.

Disclaimer: If _High School Musical_ were mine, that scene with Zac Efron shirtless would have been a heck of a lot longer. Also there would have been some proper Troy/Gabriella smoochies. None of this interruption business. Point: I own only my plotline. Disclaimers for any music will be at the end of the chapter, so as not to ruin the suspense.

Summary: Troy and Gabriella continue their reunion.

Word Count: 3,000 words (10 pages single-spaced), not counting notes or lyrics.

Timeline: This is meant to take place during Spring Break (i.e., late March/early April) of 2006. _Twinkle Towne_ has recently wrapped. The Spring musical will be announced when everybody gets back from vacation. I interpreted the hints in the movie to mean that Troy made starting varsity as a sophomore (tenth grade) and was elected team Captain/play-maker for the beginning of his junior year (eleventh grade), and that the movie took place during winter of said junior year. Thus: all of the relevant high schoolers are sixteen going on seventeen, or seventeen already.

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About halfway through the movie, Troy fell asleep. Gabriella felt his arm around her shoulders, and his hand holding hers, slacken, and his head resting on hers grow heavy, but she let him doze off. It was nearly ten o'clock, which meant it was six o'clock in the morning, tomorrow, for Troy. Add that to sixteen hours' worth of travel, and Gabriella figured her boyfriend was due for a nap.

She watched the rest of the musical nestled against him. Every once in a while she'd take a break and watch Troy instead – or, what she could of him. She held up their entwined hands and admired them: hers, small and dark and delicate; his big and tan and square and strong and gentle and…

Presumably, for most couples, movies were more fun with both parties conscious, but Gabby didn't mind this at all. Troy was warm against her back, his chest comfortable to lean into except for what felt like a zipper on his shirt. Every once in a while Troy would shift a little in his sleep and nuzzle his cheek against Gabby's hair. If it hadn't meant being unable to feel him, Gabby would have wished to be able to look at all of Troy at once. They'd been going out since the end of January, but Gabriella still had moments where she just had to drop everything and bask in how absolutely _beautiful_ Troy was.

It took Gabriella a minute to realize the credits were rolling. Careful not to jostle her sleeping boyfriend, she stretched to grab the remote, and turned the television off. At the cessation of light and sound, though, Troy woke up, lifting his head and making a sleepy sound with his lips.

"Aw, man. Did I fall asleep?" he asked.

Gabby squirmed a little in his arms to look up into his face. "Yeah, like an hour in," she said. Even in the dimness of the living room with only the light spilling in from the kitchen to see by, Troy's eyes were vividly blue. "I figured you needed the rest."

Troy crooked a small, grateful smile. "Mm. Yeah. Thanks." He leaned forward a little and dropped a light kiss on Gabriella's forehead, and then between her eyebrows. Another kiss on the tip of her nose, and then he drew back just a little. Gabby could feel his breath on her lips for a long moment before she lifted her mouth up to meet his. The kiss lingered, remaining chaste for a bit until Gabriella opened her mouth to take a breath; then Troy deepened it, taking her upper lip between his and tilting his head to bring their faces closer.

God. Even with pizza breath, Troy Bolton was a really good kisser. Their clasped hands, held between them, let go. Gabby's free hand went to splay against Troy's muscular back, between his shoulder blades, the better to hold him close; the other rested on his upper thigh, the thumb stroking against the denim of his jeans. One of Troy's hands cupped the back of Gabby's head, his fingers twining into her hair, while the other came to her waistline, snuck under the hem of her shirt, and caressed the soft skin there. "Hm…" Gabby sighed. Troy's mouth was intoxicating.

Oh, how had Gabriella survived almost two weeks without this? The brush of Troy's nose against her cheek, the flutter of his thick eyelashes, those gorgeous hands touching her like she was something precious, the full-body shimmy of pleasure Troy gave when Gabby slid _her_ hand under _his_ shirt and gently scratched at the small of his back. And here was one of her favorite parts: when Troy took a deep breath and tried to be sneaky about bringing his tongue into play. As always, Gabriella smiled and shivered and invited him in.

A warm, wet while later – five minutes? fifteen? – they both came up for air at the same time and then settled into brief pecks of affection. Gabby sighed and let Troy take care of her with little kisses around her mouth, along her jawline. "I…" Kiss. "Missed you…" Kiss. "So…" Kiss. "Much."

"Me too." Gabriella rested her head on Troy's shoulder, wriggling a little as he meandered down the column of her neck. "Missed you, missed you, missed you," she murmured, and then added a pleased "Eep!" when Troy got creative and nibbled at her collarbone.

Troy's chest rumbled in a low laugh. Gabby brought her hand up from his thigh to hold against his heart and felt it again: a small hardness under his shirt that she'd mistaken for a zipper earlier. Troy hissed as she flicked a finger against it. "Troy…?"

The laugh this time was more sheepish than sensual. "Um."

"What did you…?"

"I, um, had a whim." Troy's bright eyes watched her closely.

"A whim." If this turned out to be what Gabby suspected, she might. Just. Die. "Can I… _see_ this 'whim'?"

Troy grinned wickedly and scooted backwards a little to give himself room to reach for the hem of his sweater and pull it over his head. Gabby's mouth went dry as she dragged her gaze up from the intriguing trail below his belly button, to the washboard abs and the flat, hard pecs: there, right through one brown nipple, was a small silver barbell.

"Oh my God."

Troy rolled his shoulders back and cocked his head, narrowing his eyes. "Is that a good 'Oh my God' or a bad one?"

"You got your _nipple_ pierced?" Gabby stuttered. "Oh my God."

"Again, I ask…"

"That is so sexy."

"Ah." The wicked grin was relieved, now. "So that would be a good 'Oh my God'."

Gabriella reached a tentative hand out, but quickly drew it back. "Can I—?"

"Uh-huh. Just be, um, gentle. It's still a little sore."

Gabby placed her palm on Troy's chest and felt his heart beat against her palm. Breathless, she stroked the nipple and its piercing with her thumb. Troy closed his eyes and sucked a breath in. "Oh wow."

It was Gabriella's turn to laugh. "I cannot believe you did this." Another stroke, a tiny tug with the edge of her fingernail. Troy made a helpless noise in the back of his throat. "I cannot believe how hot this is."

"You're telling me?" Troy said. "Gabby—oh! You should stop."

Gabriella was utterly transfixed. "Mm-hm."

"No, really." Troy took her wrist in a firm grip, tickling her pulse point as he pulled her hand away from his chest. "'Cause that makes me want to—well. Do stuff that shouldn't be done on your mom's couch, especially when your mom's going to be home in an hour."

Gabby bit her lip and tried on her best pout. Troy's resolute expression softened a little, but then he squared his jaw. "Gabby…"

"Well it's hardly all my fault! Put a shirt on if you must!"

"Oh." Gabby had been close enough to melting into a puddle of goo without the help of Troy's boyish grin. "Sorry." Troy turned his sweater right-side-out and tugged it on over his head. Mournfully, Gabriella watched Troy's chest disappear under blue cotton, but was cheered to realize that now that she knew it was there, she could see the outline of the piercing.

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A half an hour later, the pizza box was out with the trash and Troy and Gabriella were sitting at the kitchen island again, waiting for Gabby's mother to come home.

"If she's in a good mood, maybe you could sleep over," Gabby suggested. Laura Bolton and Carla Montez had, several months ago, put their heads together and devised a set of rules for their children, one of which was that coed sleepovers were allowed so long as bedroom doors were left open.

Troy brightened. "Yeah, that'd be nice. I missed sleeping with you." His cheeks flushed. "I mean—"

"I know what you mean," Gabby said, and smiled. "I missed it, too. You make a very good teddy bear."

"I do try my best."

"A little sexier than your average teddy bear…"

"I'd hope so!"

"…but our most recent census has shown that to increase retail value, so…"

Troy made an exasperated noise and hopped off his seat to come and crowd Gabriella in hers. He stood between her knees and linked his hands behind her. "You are punchy-happy, Miss Montez."

Gabriella wrapped her legs around Troy's hips and tugged him in even closer. "In case you hadn't heard, Mr. Bolton, my boyfriend just got home. And he brought a pierced nipple with him."

"Oh, man, I've created a monster." Troy shook his head, amused. "We'll see a rise in your desperate attempts to get me shirtless, I bet."

"Psh! _My_ desperate attempts!"

Troy had the grace to look abashed. "Fair enough. I didn't try anything tonight, though!"

"Because you're on a whole new cosmic plane of jetlag! Pull the other one, Bolton."

"Well, it's your fault for being so totally gorgeous," Troy said seriously.

Gabriella blushed and buried her face in his shoulder. "Troy!"

"You always get so embarrassed when I compliment you." Troy tickled at the skin just above her waistband at the small of Gabby's back. "You know that only makes me want to do it more."

"Tro-oy…"

"_When I see you, you know all the things I've done_…"

Gabby giggled half-nervously and hugged Troy tighter.

"…_and I'm blinded, like I'm staring down the sun.  
When I see you,__  
When I see you,__  
When I see you, it's like I'm staring down the sun_..."

"_Our love is so right,  
I can't waste a minute here tonight.__  
Our love is so right,__  
And tonight my dance is all about you_," Gabriella countered.

"Oh, I like that," Troy said. He sounded like he meant it. "I've never heard it before."

"Dave Matthews Band," Gabby said. "Kelsi's trying to convert me. Learn something new every day, huh?"

"You know it." Troy pressed his cheek against Gabby's and sighed. "What's another we could do?"

"Same band?"

"Doesn't matter."

Gabriella thought for a while, then started singing, still leaning tiredly into Troy:

"_While I'm far away from you, my baby,  
I know it's hard for you, my baby,__  
Because it's hard for me, my baby,__  
And the darkest hour is just before dawn_." 

"That's nice," Troy said, and joined in on the harmony for the next verse.

"_Each night before you go to bed, my baby,  
Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby,__  
And tell all the stars above,_  
'_This is dedicated to the one I love'._

_Love will never be exactly like we want it to be.  
I could be satisfied, knowing you loved me,__  
But there's one thing I want you to do especially for me,__  
And it's something that everybody needs:_

_While I'm far away from you, my baby,  
Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby,__  
Because it's hard for me, my baby,__  
And the darkest hour is just before dawn._"

"That was lovely, you two," said a new voice. Gabriella and Troy looked up in surprise. Carla Montez was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, gazing at them fondly.

"Mom!" said Gabriella, making only a cursory attempt to disentangle herself from Troy. "We didn't even hear you come in."

"Yes, I know," Carla said. "I didn't want to interrupt – that song is one of my favorites, and you two sing it very well. Hello, Troy."

"Hi, Ms. Montez."

"Welcome home! It's a shame your vacation was cut short, but we're glad to have you back."

"Thanks, Ms. Montez."

"You look exhausted, Troy. Were you traveling all day?"

Troy cracked a smile. "A whopping sixteen hours."

"Actually, Mom," Gabriella interrupted as politely as she could, "we were hoping Troy could sleep over tonight."

Carla smirked and rolled her eyes. "Of course you were. It's fine with me. You guys know the rule."

"Bedroom door stays open," the teenagers recited dutifully.

"Well, go on," Gabby's mother said. She made a shooing motion with her hands. "Troy looks like he's falling asleep on his feet."

"Come on, Troy." Gabby scooted to the edge of her seat and slid down Troy's body to the floor. Taking his hand, she tugged him towards the stairs. "Good night, Mom."

"I'm coming! Good night, Ms. Montez."

"Good night. See you in the morning."

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While Gabriella changed into her pajamas, Troy washed his face and brushed his teeth – he had his own toothbrush at the Montez'. Then they switched. When Gabby got back to her bedroom, Troy was stretched out, wearing only his spare pair of sweatpants, in the middle of the bed with his hands behind his head.

"Oh God, Troy," Gabby groaned when she caught sight of the barbell.

"That's so Pavlovian!" Troy marveled, turning onto one side and propping his head up on a fist as Gabriella puttered around her room.

Gabby shot him a dirty look. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes!" Another look over her shoulder as she hung up a shirt prompted a "Mostly. Maybe."

"Well?"

"It's like, um, a predictable reaction in response to a certain stimulus. Right?"

Gabby turned off the overhead light and came to sit down on the bed next to Troy. "I have taught you well, young grasshopper."

"See? I listen. And I even learn big words." Troy gave her his best innocent look, and then snaked a long tan arm around her waist to pull her down next to him.

"Ack! Troy!"

Troy arranged them comfortably, snuggling up behind Gabriella to fit her back to his chest and her hips against his. "Mm. That's nice." His nose bumped her neck, and Gabby could feel his breath at the top of her spine just before he placed a slow kiss there. "All right?"

"This is good." The arm around Gabby's waist tightened as Troy lifted the hem of her tank top to splay the palm of his hand against her bare stomach. Gabby squirmed with pleasure and heard Troy groan behind her. "Are _you_ all right?"

"I'm fine, you tease."

"This from the boy who comes back from Paris, flaunts his new piercing at me, and then says 'look, but don't touch'."

Troy snickered. "That's not… exactly… what I said."

"You might as well have! I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight."

"Again, I say, tease!" Troy bit down gently at the nape of Gabby's neck. Gabby shivered and put her arm on top of Troy's on her stomach.

"Night, Troy."

"Night, tease."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and let that one go. She'd have the last word next time.

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The next day, Troy and Gabriella woke up late and made French toast before Troy headed home. Gabby showered and dressed and settled down to work on some extra-credit Advanced Chemistry homework. Sprawled on her bedroom floor amidst her textbooks, handwritten notes, poster board, construction paper and glue, Gabby had only been at work for half an hour before Troy called.

"Pining for me so soon?" she asked in lieu of a proper greeting.

"No," said Troy a little breathlessly, and then checked himself. "I mean, yes, I am, of course, but that's not why I called. I did it, Gabby."

Gabriella sat up. "Did what?"

"Resigned as Wildcat Captain."

"Oh!" Gabby put a hand to her chest and bit her lip. "So—is this—it's what you want?"

"Well, I wasn't totally sure," Troy said, "but the second I got home my dad sat me down and showed me this crazy schedule for the rest of the semester and I just knew I couldn't be the one in charge of it. All the other guys on the team, they can miss practice once in a while, they don't have to come all the random workouts, but I'd have to be at every single one. After school every day, all of my free periods, my weekends. Basketball isn't my top priority anymore, Gabby, I know it."

"I totally get it, Troy," Gabriella said. "So—what did you do then?"

"Dad sent me upstairs to call all the guys on the team, let them know, so I just called Chad first and explained it to him."

"How'd he take it?"

Troy sounded bemused. "Fine! He wasn't mad, or even surprised. He was just like, 'Yeah, man, I kind of figured'. And then he said he'd take care of it for me with the other guys, and he asked me who I wanted to vote in for Captain and I said him, of course, and _that_ surprised him. So I think we're good."

"Are you worried about what your dad's going to say?"

"A little," Troy sighed. "I mean, there's not much he can do except glare. A lot. I don't want to disappoint him, but I know that if I stayed on as Captain I'd be doing it for him, not for me, and – well, that's not fair, right?"

"No, Troy. It's not fair to you at all." Gabby hesitated before adding, "I think you did the right thing, Troy."

Troy laughed. "Oh, yeah? Yesterday you were telling me to think it over!"

"It had to be your decision, Troy," Gabriella said. "I didn't want my opinion getting in the way."

"Oh." Troy sounded thoughtful. A long moment passed before he said, "Well, next time… If there's a next time… Your opinion matters to me, Gabby. I can hear what you have to say _and_ make up my own mind."

Gabby smiled and pulled her knees up to her chest, curling herself around the phone. "Okay."

"Okay." Troy's voice had taken on that affectionate tone that Gabby knew was only meant for her. "Then… I should probably go, I guess. Homework. Dad-dodging. You know the drill."

Gabriella giggled. "Yeah, all right. Do you maybe want to come over again tonight? Or tomorrow?"

"Of course I do. I probably shouldn't sleep over two nights in a row, though. It's fine with my mom, but my dad doesn't like it much. You want to come here? Hang out, watch a movie at my house one last time before my dad finds out I willingly gave up the Captaincy?" Troy's tone was light, but the words were serious. Gabriella ached for him.

"It'll be okay, Troy. You know that, right?" Gabby wished she and Troy were talking face-to-face. The uncertain furrowing of his brow, the nervous toss of his hair, the way his gaze would flick back and forth without settling: all these mannerisms made Troy easy to read. Over the phone it was more difficult.

"My head knows. It's just my heart's having a harder time," Troy said. "Thanks, Gabriella. I mean it. I'll see you later, all right?"

"All right," Gabriella said softly. And here was the part she disliked: hanging up. Not just because it meant saying goodbye to Troy, but because there was always an awkward pause where they should have exchanged I-love-yous, if only Gabby had gone ahead and said it more than a month ago when she first knew. "Bye, Troy."

"Bye."

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FIN

Chapter 2

first posted March 11, 2007

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Disclaimer, Mock Deux: The songs were, in order: 1 "Blinded", Third Eye Blind; 2 "So Right", Dave Matthews Band (up one octave, of course); 3 "Dedicated To the One I Love", The Mamas & the Papas. I'm trying very, very hard to find songs that a) are in the characters' real range, b) are plausibly pleasant a capella, and c) fit the story. Also, I personally _hate_ fics that are as much song lyrics as they are actual prose, so do let me know if you think the music is overwhelming the story.

I hope you all enjoyed the sexiness. I had a good time writing that, not just for the sake of writing sexy, but because I like Troy and Gabriella and want them to have a good time. I'm trying to define the line between raunchy and realistic; neither Troy nor Gabriella seems the type to go straight for TEH SEX, but neither could either of them ever be considered to be without passion, so I'm figuring out what they want from each other. I imagine we'll be coasting at this rating level and below for a while. If it's likely to get explicit I'll warn you. Also: how did the make-out scenes read? I don't want the who-put-what-where logistics to get in the way of the smoochies.

Talk to me about characterization, if you wouldn't mind. It's Gabriella I'm most worried about. She's so bloody shy in canon, but I can't bring myself to believe that what we're shown in the movie is the extent of her personality. I want her to be believable, though – is the way I'm portraying her a realistic expansion on what we already know of her?

It's called crime and punishment, Bolton. Beside, proximity to the arts is cleansing for the soul.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Be Who We Are (3/?)

Author: Amazon Ziti / Sugar Shadow-Thing

Beta: xBREAKiNGFREE

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella, background Chad/Taylor

Rating: Light R to be safe.

Disclaimer: If _High School Musical_ were mine, that scene with Zac Efron shirtless would have been a heck of a lot longer. Also there would have been some proper Troy/Gabriella smoochies. None of this interruption business. Point: I own only my plotline. Disclaimers for any music will be at the end of the chapter, so as not to ruin the suspense.

Summary: The East High Wildcats return from Spring Break.

Word Count: 4,600 words (12 pages), not counting Author's Notes.

Timeline: This is meant to take place during and after Spring Break (i.e., late March/early April) of 2006. _Twinkle Towne_ has recently wrapped. The Spring musical will be announced when everybody gets back from vacation. I interpreted the hints in the movie to mean that Troy made starting varsity as a sophomore (tenth grade) and was elected team Captain/play-maker for the beginning of his junior year (eleventh grade), and that the movie took place during winter of said junior year. Thus: all of the relevant high schoolers are sixteen going on seventeen, or seventeen already.

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On the morning of the first day back to school, Troy got up early and went for a run. He'd left time for only half an hour of exercise, but he felt too good to stop so soon and came home fifteen minutes later than he'd planned.

From the end of his street, he saw Gabriella turning onto his front walk. Unfortunately Troy was too far away for her to notice a wave or a yell. By the time he got to his house, Jack Bolton had opened the front door and was trying to send Gabby away.

"Miss Montez. Isn't it a little early for social calls?"

Gabriella sounded a little bewildered. "Um, hi, Coach Bolton. Troy invited me over for breakfast…?"

"You must have got the time wrong. Troy's still out for his run."

"…Oh." Gabby made to walk back down the porch steps but turned around instead, speaking before Troy's dad could close the front door all the way. "It's just that I'm sure Troy said seven o'clock. That way we'd have time to eat and then take the bus together."

"Well, Troy's not back yet." Jack smiled tightly.

"Do you think maybe I could wait for him?" Gabriella asked, struggling to stay polite.

"Maybe another morning, Miss Montez. Have a good day."

"Coach Bolton—!"

"Dad!" Troy bounded up the front walk to the porch, panting heavily. "What are you doing?"

"Miss Montez was just leaving, Troy."

"No, she wasn't. I asked her to come over." Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand. "Hey, Gabby."

Gabriella offered a sort-of smile and looked at both Bolton men uneasily. "Hi, Troy. Look, I can just go…"

"No, don't!" Troy said. He glared up at his father, who was still blocking the front door. "I told Mom I invited Gabriella over for breakfast and she said it was fine, Dad."

"Well—" Jack blustered wordlessly for a moment before huffing in displeasure and stalking back into the house.

Troy sighed, relieved, and smiled at his girlfriend. "Sorry about… You know."

Gabby shrugged. "It's all right, really."

"No, it's not. I hate it when he speaks to you that way," Troy said, scowling. "It shouldn't matter how he feels about you! He should still be polite, at least."

"Oh, Troy."

"He makes me so _angry_!"

"I know." Gabby squeezed his hand. "Let's go in, if we're going in. You need to shower up, sweaty basketball boy."

"Hey, this sweat is the result of my manly exertions," Troy protested, opening the front door for Gabriella before following her inside. "Don't you like my manly exertions?"

Gabby laughed and rolled her eyes. Troy felt his heart lift a little. His dad was a pain, sure, but as long as Troy could still make Gabriella laugh, it was all right. "Your manly exertions smell, Troy," Gabby said. "If it's all the same to you, I'll pass."

"You are truly wise beyond your years, Gabriella," said an amused voice. Troy's mother, dressed to kill in a designer pantsuit, came down the stairs into the foyer, stepping carefully in her pointy high heels.

"Good morning, Mrs. Bolton," Gabby said, smiling. Troy smiled too. While Jack Bolton might object to Gabriella Montez, his wife had no such problem. Laura saw Gabriella for what she really was: soft-spoken, kind, clever, talented, beautiful, and perfect for Troy.

"Good morning, dear," Laura replied. She raised an eyebrow at Troy. "Go on, get cleaned up. There's not that much time until the bus comes, and you both need breakfast. Gabriella, why don't you help me whip something up?"

"Sure, Mrs. Bolton." The two women turned off the foyer into the kitchen. Troy watched them – or, rather, Gabby – go for a moment. Gabriella was looking really pretty today, not that she didn't always. She was wearing a fitted light-green blouse over a pair of tight jeans that made her legs look miles long, and her loosely curled brown hair hung free along her shoulders and down her back. Troy loved it when Gabriella wore her hair down. She hadn't cut it except for the most minimal of trims since she'd come to East High, and now it hung to just above the curve of her behind, which was incidentally also looking great in those jeans.

Troy sighed longingly and jogged upstairs to shower.

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Troy and Gabriella made it to the pick-up point for the school bus with almost ten minutes to spare.

"Man, were those some masterful waffles," Troy said heartily, rubbing his flat stomach.

"You know it," said Gabriella.

"The talent – the _dedication_ that went into those frozen microwaveable waffles…"

"Blood, sweat and tears."

"…continuing a glorious tradition of bringing Eggo into the kitchen…"

"Just like the pilgrims did."

"…is truly the heart and soul of any household." Troy flashed his best hundred-watt grin.

"Is that it?" Gabriella asked, raising a graceful eyebrow. "Are we done now?"

"We're done."

Gabriella heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief, but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards. She eagerly melted against Troy's side when he slipped an arm around her waist. "So." She tilted her head up to fix Troy with a steady chocolate-brown stare. "You happy to be going back to school?"

"Sort of." Troy shuffled his feet. "I'm looking forward to everything except basketball."

"Did something new happen, or…?"

"Well... We – the team – told my Dad we'd voted Chad in as Captain. He couldn't get mad at me in front of all the guys, but he totally blew up later."

"Ouch." Gabriella reached across Troy to grab his other hand and bring it up, encircling herself in his arms.

"Oh, but that's not all. At practice two days ago, Dad told the team he wanted us to go for State, and at practice yesterday he brought it up again and the team told him they'd voted not to go."

"What!" Gabby twisted in Troy's arms to stare up at him again. "Oh, I bet he _loved_ that."

"Yeah. Maybe if he'd announced this right after we'd won City Championship it might've been all right, but he waited too long! Now everyone's gotten used to our easy schedule. Zeke went and got that job at the bakery downtown, Jason's getting guitar lessons from Kelsi, Taylor's got Chad studying for SATs, I've got the musical and…you. Dad wanted to double our practice hours. He didn't stand a chance."

"Wow."

"So… Practice is going to be horrible, I'm pretty sure. He's going to run us into the ground."

"Poor thing." Gabby caressed Troy's hands, which were clasped against her stomach. "Hey. Come over to my house after practice? I'll give you a massage, and then we can relax and do your homework."

"Mm. That sounds nice." Troy rested his chin on Gabby's shoulder.

"Just promise me one thing?" Gabriella asked gravely.

"What?"

"Don't let your dad find out about your nipple ring."

Troy burst out laughing. He could feel Gabby laughing too, her back vibrating against his chest.

"No – no – I'm serious! He'll make you take it out, and think what that would do to me!"

They were still laughing when the school bus pulled up to the curb.

Troy had had the same seat on the bus to East High since he'd made starting Varsity last year: the seat of honor, the front-most seat with extra foot room on the right side of the bus. Any other members of the team riding the bus that day typically took the closest seats behind him. Eleventh grade was no different. All year, the kids who got on the bus before he did knew to leave his seat free.

As he stood to the side of the doors, handing Gabriella up into the bus before him, Troy had a brief moment of panic wherein he worried that, in resigning his Captaincy, he'd resigned his throne as well. He was relieved to find he was wrong. Once he'd boarded the bus himself, Troy stood briefly at the front, nodding greetings to people he knew and yelling ones to people he liked, before sliding into his seat next to Gabriella.

"I always feel like royalty when I ride the school bus with you," Gabby confided with a giggle.

"Wildcat royalty!" Zeke said from the seat behind them. "Should we call you 'Princess' now?"

Gabby cast a coy look over her shoulder. "Not 'Queen', Zeke?"

"Nah, not since we upgraded Sharpay," Zeke said with a laugh. "East High's got a reigning queen." Zeke's crush on Sharpay hadn't faded much, though his hope of her returning his feelings had. Sharpay had let Zeke ply her with all manner of baked goods for more than two weeks after the Championship game before doing an abrupt about-face. Apparently she'd gained two pounds, and blamed Zeke for it. Combined with her increasing hostility over playing understudy to Gabriella for the winter musicale, her status as Ice Princess of East High had been bumped up to Ice Queen. Everyone agreed this was fitting, particularly since her brother Ryan, though much better-liked, had been known as the Drama King since his ninth grade audition for Lumiére (opposite Sharpay's Mrs. Potts) in _Beauty and the Beast_.

"Fair enough," Gabriella giggled.

"As you say, princess," Zeke said, bowing his head.

"Hey, does that mean I get to be prince?" Troy asked.

"Just don't be the Artist Formerly Known As, and we're fine," said Zeke. "Hey, so are you guys going to try out for the spring musical?"

"You know it!" Troy said. "This one's too good to miss."

"I'm really excited," Gabby added. She'd come a long way from the shy girl Troy had sung with on New Years' Eve. Back then, she'd barely been able to make eye contact during their duet, and had actually backed herself off the stage when Troy had moved forward to engage her. Even in their callback audition for _Twinkle Towne_, Gabby had done little but trail behind Troy onstage, at least until she'd gotten so caught up in the song that she'd forgotten her stage fright.

Once she'd forgotten to be afraid, though, Gabby never remembered again. She still didn't like public speaking – the oral report she'd had to do for Global Studies in February had actually made her legs tremble – but singing and speaking in character were now things that exhilarated her. Troy thought Gabby was magnificent onstage. They'd had three duets besides "What I've Been Looking For" and "Breaking Free," and all of them had been electrifying. Troy couldn't wait to do it again.

"We've already started thinking about which song we want to sing for pairs auditions," Troy said, smiling at Gabby. She took his hand gently.

"Singles, too."

"You guys don't want to sing together?" Zeke asked, his eyes darting back and forth between the two of them.

"No, we do," Gabby said.

"We really, really do," Troy agreed. "But Sharpay and Ryan are each decent competition for either one of us. So even if we can't play opposite each other, we'd rather be in the musical than not."

Zeke nodded. "Makes sense. So – fresh-baked corn muffins, anyone?"

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As always, Troy was first off the bus into the crowd of Wildcats and cheerleaders that milled around at the foot of the steps up to the school. Before joining them fully, however, he extended his hand up for Gabriella to take as she descended from the bus. He sketched a short bow as she stepped delicately to the ground. "Princess."

Giggling, Gabby bent her knees in a brief, graceful curtsy. "Kind sir."

"Hey, that's _Prince_ kind sir to you." Troy tugged Gabby closer to his side as they started through the red-and-white clad mob, and leaned down to press an affectionate kiss to her lips. As she always did in response to a public display of affection, Gabby blushed.

"Dude!" Chad materialized on Troy's left. "And dudette," he added, with a nod to Gabriella, who smiled at him. "Are we ready to rumble?"

"Always," said Troy, bemused. "Rumble for what?"

"School! Spring! Suicide drills!" Chad's riotous, spring-loaded curls bounced back and forth with enthusiasm.

"Aw, man, I _just_ managed to forget how much fun practice is going to be today."

"Well, hey. What are friends for, huh?" Chad grinned broadly. "And don't forget – spring musical auditions are gonna be this week!"

A chorus of snorts came from behind them. Troy looked over his shoulder to see Zeke, Jason, and the other juniors on the Varsity team following them. "Oh, look, it's the Peanut Gallery."

"Nah, Troy, we're not laughing at _you_," Jason said. "It's just – Chad, since when do you care about the spring musical?"

Chad looked slightly embarrassed. "Since you told me what it was going to be."

Troy laughed. "Dude, you cannot seriously be telling me _you_ are going to try out for the musical."

"So what, you've got monopoly on trampling the social norm?" Chad retorted. He scowled when Troy kept laughing. "Oh shut up," he said. "It's one of the only musicals it's even remotely manly to like, okay? And there are a ton of supporting parts that _don't have to sing_."

"But they do have to dance," Zeke pointed out.

"Who says Chad Danforth can't dance?" Chad demanded. "You show me who said it and I will dance them into the _ground_."

"Whoa," Troy said. He held his hands up in surrender. "Nobody's trying to stop you, man. We were just surprised, considering how much trouble you and Taylor went to in January, trying to keep me and Gabby out of the musical."

Tucked against Troy's right side, Gabby laughed softly. Chad peered around Troy to confront her. Gabriella immediately adopted a serious expression. "Do we have something to say?" Chad asked, suspicious.

"No," Gabby said humorlessly. "No, we do not."

"That's what I thought," Chad said. "And about our Master Plan, Troy—"

"Oh my God, I can actually _hear_ the capital letters," Troy interjected.

"—we were trying to save you from yourselves. _Twinkle Towne_ was a horse of an entirely different color, my friend. And a musical and a 'Musicale'? _Not_ the same thing."

"If you say so," said Troy, pushing open one of the doors to the school.

"I do."

"Well, there you go."

"That's right." Chad glanced at his right wrist – he was, inexplicably, wearing four different watches today – and groaned. "Fifteen minutes to homeroom. I gotta stop by my locker. And find my girlfriend. See ya, guys." A nod to his teammates. "Princess." A wink and a nod to Gabriella, whose cheeks pinked slightly, and then he was gone, bounding down the hallway.

Gabriella poked Troy in the side. He looked down at her.

"Has Chad always been so… energetic?"

Troy sighed. "Since we were three… princess." He smirked.

"It's been ten minutes since Zeke called me that and I can already tell I won't be able to shake it," Gabby said, looking resigned.

"Aw, come on, Gabby, you're royalty," Troy said. "Right, guys?"

The Varsity basketball team all laughed good-naturedly. "That's right," Jason said. "Now come on, we need to get to homeroom. You know what Darbus is like, first day back from vacation." He headed down the hallway in the same direction Chad had gone. Troy and Gabriella followed him, and the rest of the team brought up the rear. "Everybody out of the way!" Jason called, as the halls got more crowded. "Wildcat royalty coming through!"

Gabby made a tiny noise of protest. Troy tightened his hold around her for a moment, and bent his head to her ear. "Hey, just accept and move on. It's the only way they'll get over it."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "It's just – you know I don't like it when people stare at me."

"Hey," said Troy. "It's all right. Just – pretend you're onstage, with me."

Gabby laughed doubtfully.

"No, I mean it. Pretend we're onstage, and we're playing a prince and a princess, with our entourage. Zeke and Jason and Chad can be our court jesters. And if that doesn't work, you can always just look at me. Remember? Like you did at the callbacks. Right at me. Okay?"

Gabby nodded, smiling up at him. "Okay."

"God knows I'm pretty enough to distract you from anything else," Troy added, and then faked injury when Gabby laughed, for real this time, and smacked him on the arm. "Hey! That's gonna leave a bruise, I can tell."

"Poor delicate thing," said Gabby, and let Troy hold the door to Ms. Darbus' classroom open for her.

Very little had changed in Ms. Darbus' lair since January except the seating arrangements. The Monday after the callback auditions, Ms. Darbus had entered her classroom to find the first two rows of desks entirely rearranged. Now, in the first row, closest to the door, Troy sat next to Gabriella, who sat next to Jason, who sat next to Sharpay. Behind Troy sat Chad, who sat next to Taylor, who sat next to Zeke, who sat next to Ryan. (Zeke and Jason had switched seats in early February, when Sharpay had sworn off Zeke Baylor and his baked goods for life.) The other kids in the class didn't seem to mind moving into the last two rows of desks. Troy was just happy because this way he got to look at Gabriella as much as he liked.

Troy, Gabriella, Zeke and Jason settled into their seats after bidding goodbye to the other Wildcat players at the door. Taylor was already at her desk, tapping a pen against her notebook impatiently. "Have you seen Chad?" she demanded as Gabriella sat down in front of her.

"Good morning to you, too," Gabby said, sounding amused. "And yes, we have. He was looking for you, actually."

Taylor heaved a long-suffering sigh. "I called him last night and we _said_ we'd meet here!"

Gabriella raised her eyebrows and looked to Troy helplessly. "Um, he also said he wanted to stop by his locker before homeroom."

"That boy," Taylor said. Troy reflected that Taylor might not do badly onstage herself. She made the word 'boy' sound like something she'd scraped off the bottom of her shoe. "He won't get here in time, you know. He's always late when he goes to his locker first."

Troy was distracted from Taylor and Gabriella when Ms. Darbus sailed in, wearing an improbably gaudy red-and-orange batiked tunic, with billowy pants and scarf to match. She gave a haughty nod to the classroom in general and ascended her stage to her throne.

"See?" said Gabriella, touching Troy's hand to get his attention. "Now _that_ is royalty."

Troy snickered. "No," he countered, "_that's_ royalty." Sharpay strutted in, Ryan at her side. The Ice Queen had one hand propped on her hip and the other raised and bent at the elbow, the better to display her spangly little purse. Today Sharpay wore a tiny silver tiara in her hair. Gabriella burst into giggles.

Sharpay stopped and swiveled, turning to face Troy, Gabby and Taylor. Ryan made a face at her theatrics and stopped too. "Well he_llo_, Troy," Sharpay chirped, ignoring the girls entirely. "Did you have a good vacation?"

"It was fine," Troy said, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face and not on that ridiculous crown.

"How was Paris? Was it _fabulous_?"

"My family ended up coming back early, actually."

"Oh! That is such a _shame_!"

"Yeah, well, you know. My mom had some business to take care of."

"I _totally_ understand." Sharpay nodded wisely. "She's a woman dedicated to her work. I know _exactly_ how that is. I'm the same way." Gabby coughed. "Oh! Gabriella. I didn't see you there. And _Tay_lor. How _brave_ of you to wear that headband."

Taylor smiled sweetly. "I'm only following your example, Sharpay."

Before the conversational temperature could descend any further, Chad burst through the classroom door. "Time! Not late!" He collapsed into his desk behind Troy, wheezing. Sharpay gave him a derisive glance and huffed away to her own seat. Ryan shot everybody a bright smile and a wave before trotting after his sister. Chad ignored them both and turned to glare at Taylor. "Where were you?"

Taylor made an affronted noise. "Where we said I'd be – right here."

"Um, no. We said we'd meet in front of your locker."

"Um, _no_. We said we'd meet in homeroom."

"Locker!"

"Homeroom!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Guys!" Troy interrupted desperately. "Does it really matter? You're both here now. Isn't that nice?"

Taylor and Chad gave Troy identical glares before turning back to each other. Luckily, before they could start arguing again, the homeroom bell rang and Darbus rose from her throne and came to the front of her little stage.

"Welcome back from vacation, ladies and gentlemen. I hope your fortnights away from this temple of knowledge were both restful and fruitful. I think that before we discuss our agenda for the duration of the semester we should perhaps take a moment to silence. All. _Cell phones_."

As more than half the students in the class fumbled in their bags, Chad leaned across the aisle to poke Taylor, their brief fight forgotten. "Wow! She _never_ gives us a chance to turn our phones off before—"

"Mister Danforth! I see you have something to say. Would you care to share your revelation with the entire class? No? That will be fifteen minutes of detention, then. Anybody else?" Ms. Darbus surveyed the class, and then, satisfied, continued. "Of course all of you will be interested to know that we have decided on a musical for our spring production! I am pleased to announce that we will be staging _Grease_."

A susurrus of excitement spread through the class. Troy grinned excitedly at Gabriella, who mirrored the expression back at him.

"Now, now, class," Ms. Darbus said tolerantly, "settle down. Due to a frankly _violent_ increase in student interest in both the Drama Club and the school's theater productions, the first round of auditions will be spread out over two days. I will be in the theater on Thursday and Friday at free period, during lunch, and from three until four-thirty after school. If you wish to audition for a non-singing part, I will provide selections from the script for you to read. If you wish to try for a solo or a duet, I ask that you prepare a song or two of your own choosing – _not_ one from the musical in question. Those songs I will distribute for callbacks next week.

"I encourage each and every one of you to rise to the occasion and explore the outermost reaches of your dramatic capabilities. Where you anticipate only dry desert, you may find a glorious green oasis of creative energy!" Ms. Darbus made a wildly sweeping gesture with her arms and held the pose for a moment before she collected herself. Clearing her throat, she tugged her glasses down her nose and peered over the frames at the class. "Any questions? No? Well, then. The SATs will be held May thirteenth. _Grease_ will be performed on June ninth, tenth, sixteenth and seventeenth. Prom will be on June twenty-fourth and the class of 2006 will graduate on the twenty-eighth. Now, on to other business…"

But Troy could hardly hear Ms. Darbus speak. Prom! He hadn't even thought about it yet. Last year he'd been eligible to go, even though he was only a sophomore, because he'd been a member of a Varsity team, but there hadn't been anyone he was interested in taking (though there had been several cheerleaders who had been hinting pretty heavily).

Now, of course, things were different. Troy had Gabriella, and he found that he really, really wanted to take her to the prom. As stealthily as he knew how, Troy cast a quick glance at Gabby from under cover of his bangs. _She_ was looking at _him_ – rather wistfully, Troy thought – and when she met his eyes, she blushed and looked away.

Troy knew what that meant. He'd first seen Gabby do the exact same thing the Monday after the callback auditions, during the first meeting of the full cast of _Twinkle Towne_. They'd been in the middle of a run-through of the script and had just hit a scene in which Minnie and Arnold, the two leads, were to kiss for the first time. Troy and Gabriella had made brief eye contact before blushing furiously and pretending there was something fascinating on the other side of the music room. Oh, yes. Troy knew that look. It meant that Gabriella wanted something but was too shy to ask for it, or didn't think she'd get it if she worked up the nerve. She got that look whenever she and Troy were dancing around something – their first date, their first kiss, the first time Troy had spent the night.

Smiling to himself, Troy decided he'd ask Gabriella to the prom today. He sighed softly and propped his chin in one hand, turning his head to look at Gabby again. She had all of her hair pulled over one shoulder, where she could twist a curl around the fingers of her left hand as she took the occasional note with her right. One leg in those incredible tight jeans was crossed over the other, and the foot on the floor, in a little white kitten-heeled shoe, tapped out a lazy rhythm. Troy couldn't get enough of looking at Gabriella. Every once in a while – like now – he'd get so caught up in staring at her that he tuned out everything else, because she was so breathtakingly beautiful and he could hardly believe she was _his_…

Gabriella lifted her head and their eyes met. Instead of looking away like an idiot this time, Troy just smiled and let his gaze linger. Gabby smiled back, for once unembarrassed, the curve of her mouth ever-so-slightly sensual. Her eyes flicked down for a moment and then back up – and then she actually _winked_ at him. Troy's eyes widened before he had to work to contain his laugh. Gabby had been looking at the left side of his chest, where his shiny new barbell was hidden under his shirt.

That piercing had hurt like hell for the first few days after he'd got it, but Troy was now utterly certain it had been worth it.

"—listening to me? Mister Bolton!"

Troy jumped. "Huh?"

Ms. Darbus was standing directly over Troy's desk, glaring beadily down at him. "I see. Inattention, Mister Bolton! Perhaps next time you'll be able to focus on _me_ and not on Miss Montez after learning your lesson in detention! You, too, Miss Montez! Fifteen minutes each!"

Gabriella tried to protest, but Ms. Darbus was unstoppable.

"You are no longer on Spring Break, people! You should have done your daydreaming when you had the chance! If you are under the impression that school is for fun it is my duty to inform you that you are tragically mistaken!" Ms. Darbus eyeballed the class, looking for a moment like an orange-and-red, and incredibly nearsighted, bird of prey. "Anybody else? Comments? Questions?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Troy saw Zeke grab Jason before the other boy could raise his hand. Thank God for damage control.

"Very well, then. Class dismissed!"

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FIN

Chapter Three

first posted March 24, 2007

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My heartfelt thanks to everybody who's reviewed so far: **aznphreak1218**, **BostonSk8er9**, **butterflygoodbye**, **carito06**, **cher**, **chuppachup**, **daniwani2369**, **HSMandChelseaFCfan**, **HSMCaga15**, **HSMlover4ever**, **idolized**, **jane**, **Jewel2502**, **kathyt222**, **larabaybee**, **lovetoread17**, **mk**, **Slvr-Fox**, **soccerfriends118**, **Someone Who Likes This Fic**, **Sophie220**, **Suzette Walker-Vega**, **troyella4ever**, **xBREAKiNGFREE**, **xochrissy**, **zacfan**, and **Zanessa Troyella Perfection**. Fresh-baked cookies for **Sophie220**, **HSMCaga15** and **troyella4ever**, who guessed that the musical would be _Grease._ And a whole pan of brownies for my fantabulous beta-reader, **xBREAKiNGFREE**.

Seriously, you guys – the reviews I got for Chapter Two were _amazing_. Everybody cashed in with specifics on what they did and didn't like – you helped me out more than you know. Those were the kinds of reviews every girl dreams of getting. Hee. So… Can we try and do that again?

Last chapter, I had a few people tell me they were a little iffy on Gabriella's characterization. Does that still hold true for you? She's shyer in this chapter, since she and Troy have an audience… Oh – what do you think of Coach Bolton? I'm going to try not to bastardize him _too_ much, but I didn't think his and Troy's conflict was really resolved in the movie, so I'm taking care of that myself.

A little challenge for you: the initial auditions, callbacks and casting for _Grease_ should be covered by Chapter Five or Six. I know who'll be cast as whom, but if you'd like to venture a guess, maybe I'll come up with something fun for whomever guesses… oh… four out of five right. Also, I'm trying to decide on good audition songs right now, for Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay and Ryan. Any suggestions are welcome.

I shall be in theatre til noon for those of you who wish to extend the wingspan of your creative spirit!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Be Who We Are ( 4/? )

Author: Amazon Ziti

Beta: xBREAKiNGFREE

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella, background Chad/Taylor

Rating: Light R to be safe.

Disclaimer: If _High School Musical_ were mine, that scene with Zac Efron shirtless would have been a heck of a lot longer. Also there would have been some proper Troy/Gabriella smoochies. None of this interruption business. Point: I own only my plotline. Disclaimers for any music will be at the end of the chapter, so as not to ruin the suspense.

Summary: Troy and Gabriella prepare for the first round of auditions for _Grease_.

Word Count: About 3,900 words (11 pages), not counting Author's Notes or lyrics.

Notes: Only the first half of this chapter has been beta-read, so any tomatoes should be thrown squarely at me. Also – sorry for the delay, guys! Thanks for your patience!

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Today had been the longest day _ever_.

Gabriella sat cross-legged on her bed, scowling ferociously at her Calculus homework. _It_ hadn't done anything wrong – Calculus wasn't precisely easy, but Gabriella understood it and usually enjoyed the slight challenge of having to put some thought into her math homework. No, Calc wasn't the problem.

The problem – well, the problem was Murphy's Law, which wasn't going to be changed any time soon. Gabby hadn't had a moment alone with Troy since homeroom, and while this would have annoyed her enough on any regular day, today was worse because of the whole prom thing.

The second Ms. Darbus had mentioned the date for the prom at the end of the school year, Gabriella had felt positively electrified. She'd been to dances before, of course, semi-formals at previous schools and every week at her summer camps; they'd all been pretty miserable. There was nothing quite like getting dressed up and excited for a dance, and then spending three hours hovering at the edge of the floor alone, watching everyone else have a great time.

Now, though, Gabby was certain things would be different. She'd made more good friends in three months at East High than she'd made in six and a half years at other junior high and high schools, and to top it all off, she had Troy. What would it be like to have a willing partner for every slow song? What would it be like to have a group of girlfriends to whom she could retreat and giggle and dance around with for all the faster songs?

Gabriella was excited to find out. But first, the universe had to give Troy a chance to ask her to go with him to the prom, and that hadn't happened yet.

Five minutes alone with Troy. That was all Gabby wanted. On any other day, they'd have managed it easily. They both had a free period on Mondays after homeroom, as well as the same lunch and a sixth period Global Studies class. Today, though, the free period had been nixed right off the bat; Ms. Darbus had held them late in homeroom, so the boys had had to leave in a hurry to get to their basketball workout. Gabby had managed to snag a seat next to Troy at lunch, but they'd been in the middle of a mob of basketballers and cheerleaders – Troy's typical lunchtime entourage. When Troy had attempted to sneak Gabby away to the roof, all of the Wildcats had followed and steered them instead to the football field behind the school, where they'd all hung out on the bleachers until the fifth period bell had rung.

Sixth period hadn't been any better, because Troy had P.E., which doubled as yet another team practice, during fifth. He had arrived late to Global Studies, dropping into the first seat available – one which wasn't anywhere near Gabriella. Immediately after school the boys had their third practice of the day – the only official one – and Gabby knew better than to put herself in the way of Coach Bolton in a bad mood. Instead, Taylor had driven her home, and after getting herself a snack, Gabby had settled in to do her homework.

Now it was seven o'clock, and all of Gabby's work was done – the Calculus spread in front of her was next week's – and Troy _still_ wasn't here. In theory, the Wildcats' practice was supposed to go from three-thirty until five-thirty, but Coach Bolton usually started practice at three-fifteen, and never let his team out before six. When he was in a bad mood, as the boys had predicted he would be today, he'd push the team until they were on the brink of collapse.

Frustrated, Gabby sorted the pages of her Calculus homework and tucked them away into a folder. She checked her cell phone hopefully – maybe she'd turned the ringer off by accident? – but there were no missed calls, texts, or voicemails.

Gabriella bit her lip and got up to fuss around her room, looking for things to put away. Unfortunately, everything was already neat as a pin. Gabby paced at the foot of her bed, her hands on her hips. "God, Troy, where _are_ you?"

"Right here."

Gabby let out a high-pitched shriek and whirled around. Sure enough, Troy was lounging in her balcony doorway, looking worn but amused.

"Troy! Give a girl some warning next time!" Gabriella exclaimed, padding over to give him a hug and a kiss in greeting.

Troy didn't let her get past the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tight against him. When it became clear Troy wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon, Gabby leaned her forehead on his shoulder and snuggled as close as she could. Troy shuddered slightly and pressed his cheek against her hair. "This is gonna sound so dumb, but I swear to God, Gabby, I thought I'd never see you again."

Gabriella stroked her fingertips up and down Troy's back. "Must have been a hell of a practice."

"You just – have _no_ idea," Troy said. His voice was slightly hoarse. "I'm… I'm _so tired_, Gabby."

"All right," Gabriella said softly. "Come on inside and lie down for a bit, okay?"

There was a long pause, and then Gabby felt Troy nod ever-so-slightly. Slowly, Gabriella backed herself and Troy into the room and shuffled them over to the bed. Troy came along obediently, his movements clumsy, and didn't lift his heavy head from Gabby's until she said, "Here we go, Troy."

With obvious reluctance, Troy let go of her and sat down. He tilted his chin up to meet Gabby's gaze and she felt her heart contract with sympathy: his usually bright blue eyes were glassy with exhaustion. Gabby bit her lip and reached out, splaying her palm on Troy's chest. It took a moment of gentle pressure before Troy realized what she wanted and let her push him over until he was lying back against her pillows.

"Poor baby," Gabby murmured. She leaned one hip against the bed and bent over Troy, who blinked up at her sleepily.

"That pretty much describes me, yeah," Troy said. "Don't I just make you want to lie down and cuddle with me?" He gleamed a sly, hopeful smile at her.

Gabby smiled back and brushed Troy's hair out of his eyes. "More than you know. Just let me call my mom – and your mom. Let them know you're here."

"Hmkay," Troy sighed. "I missed you all day and I want to spend some time with you, but I'm _this_ close to passing out."

Troy said that with laughter in his voice, but looking at the usually energetic boy collapsed on her bed, Gabriella could tell he wasn't joking. "I'll make it quick, I promise," Gabby said. She got up to fetch her cell phone before settling again at Troy's side. She called her own mother first, and got Carla's permission to let Troy stay the night. "Troy?"

"Hm?" Troy mumbled. He rolled onto his side and wriggled closer to lay his head in Gabby's lap.

"My mom says you can sleep over. 'Just this once'."

"On a school night?" Troy asked, blinking sleepily. Weekends-only was the second rule for coed sleepovers, the first being door-stays-open. "That's nice of her."

"Now I just have to call _your_ mom. What's her number?"

"Hm." Troy squeezed his eyes shut tight and then opened them again, trying to remember. "I have no idea. She's in my cell, though." He dug a hand into the pocket of his track pants and produced his cell phone. "Here."

"Thanks."

Laura picked up on the first ring. "Troy? Tell me your father didn't _just_ let you out of practice."

"Um, actually, Mrs. Bolton, it's Gabriella."

"Oh!" Troy's mother sounded slightly embarrassed. "Gabriella. Hello, dear. I assume Troy's with you."

"Yes, ma'am. Actually, that's why I called. Troy just got to my house, and he's totally exhausted—"

"—I'm _past_ exhausted," Troy called from her lap. "In fact I think I'm progressing towards giddy now."

"I heard that," Laura told Gabby, amused. "You were saying?"

"Um, well, he still has to have dinner and do his homework and everything," Gabby said, "but we don't have much time if he has to be home by ten." That was Troy's school-night curfew.

"I see," Laura said. "Should I infer that you have a solution to this dilemma?"

"Troy and I were hoping he could, um, sleep over," Gabriella said, wincing a little. It was one thing to discuss this with her own mother, but it was a little weird with her boyfriend's. "Um, I already called my mom and she said just this once, so—"

"I see," Troy's mother said again. A pause, and then, "Should I infer too that you'd like me to break the news to Troy's father?"

Ack. Gabby made a face. "If—if it wouldn't be too much trouble…"

"Gabriella," Laura laughed, "you and I both know it will be _just enough_ trouble." She sighed. "Still. I suppose Jack _was_ in a very bad mood all day?"

"That's what I've heard, ma'am," Gabriella said tactfully.

"He's taking that State Championship awfully hard. I wouldn't want to be a Wildcat right now."

"Me neither, Mrs. Bolton," Gabriella said, with feeling.

"I think it might be for the best if we gave Jack a little time to cool down," Laura decided. "Yes, Troy may sleep over."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bolton!" Gabby grinned at Troy, who was peering up at her hopefully. "She said yes!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Troy said.

"He says thank you," Gabby told Laura.

"Yes, I heard. You are both quite welcome. May I say goodnight to my son, please, Gabriella?"

"Sure, Mrs. Bolton. And thanks again." Gabriella handed the phone to Troy, who reassured his mother that yes, he would brush his teeth and that yes, he could wash today's clothes in order to wear them clean to school tomorrow. Then he said his goodbyes and closed his phone with no small amount of relief.

"All set?" Gabby asked.

"You bet. Hey, c'mere. You're too far away."

"Scoot over."

Troy obeyed, moving off Gabriella's lap into the middle of the bed, leaving room for her to lie down next to him. He opened his arms invitingly, and with a sigh Gabby moved into them. She pillowed her head on his shoulder, wrapped an arm across his chest and draped a leg over both of his. "Mm." Gabby tilted her head upward to place a kiss just under Troy's smooth jawline. "I missed you today."

"Me too," Troy said. He sounded exasperated. "We were so close at lunch, too. When the whole team got up and followed us I was ready to scream. I swear they've been taking lessons from Chad." Troy's best friend had interrupted what could have been a fantastic first kiss after the City Championship game. It had taken Troy and Gabriella a little over two weeks more to hook up properly, and neither of them had fully forgiven Chad for this.

"I know!" Gabriella agreed. "So…"

"So," Troy said. "Before we get interrupted, _again_ – Gabriella, will you go to the prom with me?"

Gabriella could have melted where she lay. Troy sounded so hopeful – as if he thought she could ever, in a million years, say no. "Of course I will. I'd love to. I've been waiting all day for you to ask."

"As if I wouldn't!" Troy said fondly. "You're _still_ too far away." He wiggled the arm Gabby was lying on, prompting her to sit up and straddle Troy's waist before lying back down on his chest so they were nose-to-nose.

"Hi, boyfriend," Gabby whispered against Troy's mouth.

"Hi, girlfriend," Troy whispered back, and kissed her. Gabby tilted her head so their noses didn't get in the way and kissed him back.

Oh…

After a long, long day of waiting and worrying, Gabriella finally relaxed. Kissing Troy was better than anything in the world. Cupping Troy's face in her hands, Gabby let her mouth fall open, giving him a chance to take advantage. The tentative touch of Troy's tongue against hers was warm and wet and comforting and delicious.

One of Troy's big hands cradled the back of Gabby's head, while the other meandered down her spine to rest possessively at the small of her back. Gabby wriggled and relished Troy's resulting groan. Troy pulled his mouth away from Gabby's to gasp, "Tease!"

Gabby just laughed and kissed him again.

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Sometime around eight o'clock, Troy and Gabriella came up for air.

Well – Gabby came up for air; Troy let out a breathy groan in protest and reached to pull her back down to him. Gabby wavered, but shook her head and said, "No, Troy. Come on, it's eight already! We have to eat. And – and do your homework."

"Don't wanna." Troy tried his sweetest pout on for size. Gabby swayed to kiss it before she caught herself.

"Troy!" She braced a hand on his bare chest. After a distracted moment caressing smooth skin and hard muscle, she realized this wasn't helping. Reluctantly Gabby dismounted from her comfortable seat straddling Troy's lap to sit next to him on her bed. "Where'd I throw your shirt? Did you notice? Oh!" It was on the floor on the other side of the bed. Rather than risk more temptation by crawling over Troy, Gabriella stood and walked around. "Here – put this on before I pounce on you again."

"Oh, yeah, that's incentive." Troy caught the shirt she threw at him. "You realize that if I put this back on, you won't be able to see my _nipple ring_ any more."

"Could you make 'nipple ring' sound _any_ dirtier?" Gabby asked, refusing to look and be led astray.

"Heh. I should just call it 'my secret weapon' instead," Troy said lasciviously. "Hey, Gabby."

"What?"

"_Just don't leave me alone here._

_It's cold, baby. Come back to bed._"

Gabby shivered, pausing as she redid the buttons of her own shirt. "Troy. That is _not_ playing fair."

"_Come back to bed._"

"Stop that!"

"_Come back to bed._"

"I'm going downstairs. To make dinner. In the kitchen."

"_Why don't you come back to bed?_"

"Because there is no sexiness in the kitchen. Going now!" Gabriella hurried into the hallway and down the stairs to her kitchen, where she stopped to catch her breath and finish buttoning her blouse. Gabby had always taken pride in her responsibility and self-control, but she regularly found herself blindsided by how very much she loved and wanted Troy.

Before she and Troy had met, Gabby had expected that having a boyfriend would be little different than adding a fun extracurricular to her schedule: she'd thought she would find a boy with whom she could hold hands and kiss when it was convenient, and that otherwise life would go on as it usually did. She'd assumed that their physical relationship would be tame, private and carefully paced, and she'd only vaguely considered that she might someday have sex. Probably if things went as they should, Gabby would date during college, start settling during or immediately after graduate school, and get married and have children when she was between twenty-six and thirty-five.

She had not been in the least prepared for loving Troy Bolton.

Gabby thought about him all the time. Even when she was focused on something else – _anything_ else – there was always an awareness of him, somewhere deep inside of her: _Troy would like this_, or _I wish Troy were here with me_, or _Later I'll get to see Troy_. When they were in class together it took all of Gabriella's so-called self-control to stop from reaching for him or sitting in his lap or kissing him. It was difficult to look at their teacher or the blackboard instead of at Troy; Gabriella loved to watch Troy talk and laugh and bite his lip and furrow his brow and roll his eyes. Best of all was when Troy looked back at her, because his eyes would light up and his mouth would curve temptingly, and Gabby could take that smile into her heart and think, _That's for me. Just for me._

When they were alone, though – that was when Gabby really had to watch her step. It was frighteningly powerful to have free reign to touch Troy, to hold him, to kiss him. It was a little overwhelming, too, and sometimes – like today – Gabby put on the brakes just to make sure she still could. Otherwise… Gabby didn't know what otherwise. She wasn't quite ready for sex yet and she didn't think Troy was, either, but she found herself looking forward to when she would be. There were things she dreamed of doing with Troy… for Troy…. _to_ Troy. Sometimes she surprised herself with her eagerness. Gabriella had always thought that, when the time came, the prospect of sex would be that of a duty she might eventually grow to enjoy. This was nothing like that. Nothing at all.

"Hey," came Troy's voice. Gabby looked up to see her boyfriend, properly dressed at last, leaning languidly against the doorframe with _that smile_ on his face. "What's cookin', good-lookin'?"

That phrase was so silly Gabby just had to laugh. "Nothing, yet. What do you feel like having?"

Troy raised one dark eyebrow and let his smile turn slightly feral.

Gabby blushed. "For dinner! What do you want for dinner?"

"_Oh_," Troy said. "For _dinner_." He shrugged carelessly. "I don't know. Anything, really. What do you have?"

"Let's find out." Gabby beckoned Troy over as she turned to open the refrigerator. Pressed shoulder-to-shoulder, they peered inside.

"Hm," Troy said. "Pickles. Olives. Pitted cherries. Thai fish sauce. Double-A batteries. Yum."

"Shush, you," Gabby said, giving him a gentle shove. "Okay… What's this?" She opened a white cardboard takeout container curiously.

"I think that's leftover moo-shu," Troy said helpfully. He leaned in closer to prop his chin on Gabby's shoulder.

"Is it still good?" Gabby asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Let's find out," Troy said, and before Gabby could stop him he pinched some with his bare fingers and popped it into his mouth.

"Troy! Ew!"

Troy chewed thoughtfully. "What?"

"I don't even know when that's from!" Troy rolled his eyes, and Gabby sighed. "If you get food poisoning and die slowly and painfully, you have only yourself to blame."

"It's fine," Troy said, amused. "Just cold."

"Things often are after they've been in the fridge for a while," Gabby said dryly. "Well, if it's good we'll have some for dinner. I'm pretty sure we're out of the pancakes, though."

"Let's be wacky and have rice, instead," Troy suggested, reaching for another take-out container. "This… is not rice."

Gabriella looked. "That's Chinese broccoli, Troy. It's yummy. And it's good for you."

"Where's the rice?"

"We might be out," Gabby said, shifting things around. "God, I have a big fridge."

"You can't have Chinese food without _rice_," Troy said plaintively.

"Poor baby, you might have to," Gabby said. Then, "No – wait! I found it. You can breathe easy."

Troy and Gabriella transferred the leftover Chinese takeout to a large Tupperware and heated it up in the microwave. They sat at the island to eat, scooting two stools close together. Gabby relished the warmth of the length of Troy's side against hers as she chased his fork with her chopsticks. Troy put a strong arm around her shoulders and laughed as he battled her for the rice. "Tease! Stop that!"

_Tease_. Gabby sighed lightly. Troy called her that a lot. He seemed to mean it affectionately, but… "Hey, Troy."

"Hm?"

"Does it, um, bother you? That – that I'm a tease sometimes?"

Troy put his fork down and tilted his head to fix her with a steady blue gaze. "Gabby, you know I'm just joking when I call you that, right?"

"Well…" Gabriella shrugged. "We'll be… making out and, you know, stuff…"

"Oh, yeah," Troy said, his eyes dancing. "I know _stuff_."

Gabby smiled shyly back at him before making herself continue. "But I'll stop us. And sometimes that's when you call me _tease_. And I don't – I don't mean to lead you on or anything."

Troy's laugh was comforting, low and gentle. "Gabriella, I don't think you could 'lead me on' if you tried." He leaned forward until he could nuzzle the tips of their noses. "You're too honest. And kind. And sweet."

"Troy!" Gabby protested, feeling her cheeks heat.

"I mean it," Troy said unapologetically. "Of course I like making out and_ stuff_. But I also like that you know what we're ready for. And I think it's good that you stop us, because I don't think I would be able to."

Gabriella stared at him. "You do realize that most teenaged boys don't think that way."

"Yeah, well." With his free hand, Troy clumsily mimed brushing dirt off his shoulder. "I'm not most teenaged boys." He tossed his hair out of his eyes and flashed _that smile_ before adding, "And you're not most teenaged girls. That's why we fit."

Gabby beamed. "Yeah. We fit."

"So, _tease_," Troy said, "are you gonna let me get some of this rice, or what?"

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After dinner they went back upstairs to Gabriella's room to tackle Troy's homework. At around nine-thirty Gabby's mom came home; Carla came upstairs to say hello and to make sure they'd eaten before going to fix herself a meal. While Troy slogged through College Algebra – a class he'd taken solely to avoid taking pre-Calculus – Gabby sprawled next to him on her stomach with her laptop in front of her, reviewing their options for the upcoming auditions.

"Hm…" Gabby mused, scrolling through her iTunes. "How about something John Mayer? I can _personally_ attest that you make his songs sound delicious."

"Nah," Troy said. He scowled down at his graphing calculator. "He's a little too…" He paused, looking for a word more politically correct than 'girly'. "… Romantic. I'm trying out for Danny Zuko. I need something a more… hip-shaking."

"Hip-shaking," Gabby repeated. "Hip-shaking. Hm. Maroon 5? They can be kinda sexy. Ooh, Marvin Gaye is _very_ sexy."

"Somehow I don't think singing 'Let's Get It On' is entirely appropriate for a high school musical audition," Troy said wryly.

"Point. Oh! How about this?" Gabby double-clicked on a song and she and Troy listened intently. When it was over, Troy smiled.

"I like it," he said. "But… You're sure it's not too… skanky?"

"Like you said," Gabby smirked, "you _are_ trying out for Danny. I'd say it's just the right degree of skank."

"Just the right degree of skank," Troy said. "I like that." He gave Gabby a wink.

"So," Gabby said, turning back to her computer. "Are we still agreed on the song for pairs?"

"Yup."

"And I've got my singles song picked out. We're all set! I signed us up for Thursday auditions after school, since you won't have practice then."

"I can't wait," Troy said, looking up from his homework. "How awesome would it be, Gabby – you and me, Sandy and Danny?"

"Pretty awesome," Gabby agreed, unable to suppress a smile.

"Now," Troy said briskly, "Do a guy a favor and explain this stupid calculator again? I think there are about a hundred buttons more than I actually need."

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FIN

Chapter Four

first posted June 30, 2007

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My heartfelt thanks to everybody who reviewed last time: **bombastic-banter**. **butterflygoodbye**, **carito06**, **ChasingGhosts**, **cher**, **Finny**, **Helenilia**, **Hopeless Wanderer**, **HSMandChelseaFCFan**, **HSMCaga15**, **idolized**, **Jewel2502**, **jtaveras**, **kathyt222**, **larabaybee**, **MiZZMoNTez93**, **Peatrie**, **Picloute**, **Purplgurl**, **sapphiress**, **soccerfriends118**, **Sophie220**, **troyella is my life**, **weeziebomb**, **wench**, **WriteTheScriptToYourOwnLifex3**, **x-Rose-Tyler-x**, **x3liveinLOVExoxo**, **xochrissy**, and **Zanessa Troyella Perfection**. Of course, my faboo beta, **xBREAKiNGFREE**, gets her own special mention, and also chocolate cake.

I am totally bowled over both by the enthusiasm and the details in y'all's reviews – the enthusiasm provokes me to write more, and the details help me to write better… so by all means, keep it coming! Now, to answer some questions:

As explained in the chapter above, Troy and Gabby are _not_ having sex… yet. But I can pretty much guarantee you they will. When they do, I won't write it in any detail, but I promise they'll both have a very good time. ) I'm not religious, so I don't care much one way or the other about waiting until marriage; I care about waiting until both partners are ready. Troy and Gabby are both sixteen-going-on-seventeen, and they're both mature, and they're in love. When they're ready, they'll know, and so will we.

Gabriella is a bit of a flirt, isn't she? As you know, I was very worried about characterization in that respect. I re-watched HSM (again…) to refresh my memory, and you know what? She's a flirt in canon, too. Not in, you know, a skanky way, but honestly. Have you _seen_ Zac Efron? How could you _not_ be a flirt around him? I have also watched "What Time Is It" about a zillion times on YouTube (purely for research purposes, you understand), and I would like to say that _that_ is what I am officially going for with Troy and Gabriella – a little shy, a little flirty, a little sexy, and totally into each other. Let me know if it's working?

Wow, these Author's Notes are long. Sorry. Almost done.

No, the nipple ring will not die, for those of you who were worried. I love it just as much as you do. Yes, Coach Bolton's a meanie, but he's also a concerned and confused parent. I don't agree with him, but I'm trying to understand where he's coming from. We'll hear more from him later. I know you're all looking forward to auditions… They'll be next chapter, never fear. I'm sorry for the overwhelming amount of fluff, but my beta assured me that you would like it, so I decided to let it stay. Plot will follow, I promise. I have the audition songs picked out, but there will be more opportunity for non-musical singing later, so I'm open to more suggestions, duets especially.

Any more guesses for casting? Nobody's got more than one out of five (Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, and Chad) right yet. If you get four out of five right, you'll get… let's see… an honorable mention, a cookie, and a cameo as a member of your high school clique of choice. So – get guessing!

Oh. "Come Back to Bed" belongs to John Mayer.

There is more to this school than boys in baggy shorts flinging balls for touchdowns!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Be Who We Are ( 5/? )

Author: Amazon Ziti

Beta: fictacious-thejunkie

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella, background Chad/Taylor

Rating: Light R to be safe.

Disclaimer: I own only my plotline. Disclaimers for any music will be at the end of the chapter, so as not to ruin the suspense.

Summary: Troy and Gabriella sing a new song, and Troy has a not-so-startling revelation.

Word Count: About 4,500 words (15 pages), not counting Author's Notes or lyrics.

Notes: This chapter has been beta'ed by the lovely fictacious-thejunkie, but I am in a land far, far away from home and have cobbled this together from emails – so I _think_ I've made all the edits that are at home on my computer, but I'm not certain.

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Troy loved waking up with Gabriella next to him.

Well, this morning she wasn't so much next to him as on top of him, her torso sprawled across his and her head resting just under his chin. Troy found he had one arm tightly around her shoulders, holding her close; the other hand was tangled in her sweet-smelling hair. It would have been a perfect moment if not for Gabby's radio alarm clock, which was blaring a staticky "Yeah!" at too many decibels.

"Ugh," Gabriella groaned. She turned to nuzzle her face against Troy's neck. "Troy… Turn it off."

"I would, but I've got a freaky math girl on top of me," Troy said affectionately.

"Hm. How'd she get there?"

"Heck if I know."

"She movin' anytime soon?"

"Doesn't look like it."

"Well. It seems you're in a bit of a dilemma, Wildcat."

"I don't know about that," Troy said slyly. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"You don't have any sleeves," Gabby pointed out. Lazily, she kissed the bare skin of Troy's throat. "You don't have a shirt at all." Another kiss at his collarbone, then one between his pecs; then a teasing breath at his nipple ring. "Not that I'm complaining."

Troy shivered. "Okay. Granted, no sleeves. But tricks – I've got those in spades."

"Oh?" Gabriella laid a gentle, open-mouthed kiss on Troy's nipple, eliciting an uncontrollable full-body shudder. "Like what?"

"Um. Oh man," Troy stuttered, having lost his train of thought. "Tease."

Gabby stroked her fingers down Troy's side and let out a low, sleepy laugh. "I know. What tricks, Troy?"

"Right. Tricks." Troy squirmed and stretched under Gabriella's feather-light touch. "How about… a tickle attack?"

Gabby froze. "No."

It was Troy's turn to laugh. "Oh, yes."

"Don't you dare."

"Do you know, I think I will." Bending his knees, Troy braced his feet on the bed and flipped them over so he could pin Gabby down properly.

"Ack! Troy!" Gabriella squealed beneath him. Troy set to tickling her mercilessly. Gabby wiggled and kicked and giggled hysterically and tried to grab at Troy to stop him, but he was having too good a time to let up. "Stop! Stop! Uncle! Mercy! Please!"

"Awake yet?" Troy asked wickedly.

"Wide awake," Gabby panted.

After that there really wasn't anything Troy could do but kiss her. The song on the radio changed from tense, dance-floor "Yeah!" to placid, sweet "Dreamgirl." Gabriella herself was placid and sweet now, her lips pliant and generous against Troy's. Warm and comfortable under the pastel-striped sheets, basking in the early morning sunlight and each other, Troy and Gabriella could probably have settled in for hours had they not been interrupted by a brisk "Ahem!" from Gabby's bedroom door.

Troy immediately rolled to the side and off of Gabriella. From the corner of his eye he could see her go bright red. "Um, hi, Mom," she said.

"Good morning, Gabby," Carla Montez said. "And Troy." Her tone was expectant.

Blushing not a little bit himself, Troy tugged the sheet up from his waist to his chin and aimed a shaky smile at his girlfriend's mother. "Good morning, Ms. Montez."

Carla raised an eyebrow. If Troy hadn't known better, he would have thought she was biting her lip to hide a smile. "Yes. Well. I'm showing a house in Santa Fe this morning, so I'm taking off now; I just wanted to make sure you were awake, which I see you certainly are."

Gabby coughed. "Um, yeah. Thanks, Mom."

"It's past six, so you two had better get a move on. Didn't you tell me last night you wanted to stop by Kelsi's house before school today?" Her unwavering calm – considering she'd just interrupted her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend, possessing between the two of them a single set of pajamas, making out under the covers in said daughter's bed – was making Troy extremely nervous. What form would the inevitable explosion take?

"Yeah, Kelsi said that if we came over we could have breakfast and practice for our auditions," Gabby replied. Troy admired her composure. Though Gabriella's blush hadn't faded, she was otherwise matching her mother's nonchalance perfectly.

"Oh, so you were able to make up your minds on what songs to sing?"

"We decided last night."

"Oh, good. I'm sure you'll both do well." Carla clapped her hands together with entirely too much cheer. "I'd better go – I have to stop by the office before I leave the city." She came briskly over to Gabriella's side of the bed and bent to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day, sweetheart."

"You too, Mom."

"And you, Troy."

"You too, Ms. Montez."

"All right." Carla headed back to the hall, but paused in the doorway to look back over her shoulder. "Oh, and Troy?"

"Yes, Ms. Montez?"

"Nice nipple ring."

Troy's eyes widened. Next to him he heard Gabriella make a tiny choking noise. Carla winked and sauntered down the hall. Troy could hear her humming under her breath as she walked down the stairs.

Utterly unable to move a muscle, Troy listened intently as his girlfriend's mother bustled around briefly, and held his breath between the sound of the front door closing and the car starting in the driveway. As Carla drove away, Troy sighed hugely in relief.

"Oh my God." Gabriella's face was buried in her hands.

"Gabby, I am _so sorry_."

"Oh my God."

"Are you going to be in really big trouble?"

"Trouble?" Gabriella's fingers parted to reveal a single panicked eye. "Troy, _focus_. My _mother_ just complimented you on your _nipple ring_."

"Yeah. Yeah, I heard that part. I'm trying to repress, though."

"Oh my God." Gabriella lowered her hands and fixed Troy with her best exasperated look. "Do you _realize_ the ammunition she's got now? She will be milking this for _months_."

"Wait." Troy held up a hand. "You're not upset because you're in trouble – you're upset because your mother can _embarrass_ us?"

"I'm not in trouble, Troy," Gabby said patiently. "We left the door open like we were supposed to, and my mom's not dumb – she can guess what teenagers get up to. But she'll be bringing this up whenever she can just to see me blush."

"Well," Troy said with a shrug, "you do blush spectacularly well."

"Oh be quiet." Gabriella tried to glare, but ended up grinning instead. "You drive me nuts, Bolton. Turn off the radio, will you?" "Dreamgirl" had segued into "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" by this point, and any mood that might have been left was lost. Obediently, Troy turned and reached to hit the button on Gabby's alarm clock. When he sat back up again, Gabby was out of bed and tying her hair into a high, messy bun.

"Hey, dreamgirl, come back here."

"No, c'mon, Troy. We really should get up – I need to take a shower before we head over to Kelsi's, and you should go take your clothes from yesterday out of the dryer, see if they need ironing."

Troy made a face. "I hate ironing."

Gabby made a face right back but grinned through that too. "But you do it so spectacularly well!"

Troy gasped and held a hand to his heart. "Using my own words against me? That cuts like a knife, Gabriella Montez. It really does."

"Right." Gabby rolled her eyes, but she took a few steps back toward the bed and held out a hand for Troy to grab, which he eagerly did. "Up you get… Whoa!" she exclaimed when Troy tugged her down next to him again.

"_Now tell me, why don't we  
__Sleep all, we sleep all day,  
__Sleep all, we sleep all day  
__Over and over?_"

"Troy…" Gabriella sighed. "_Why can't you behave?  
__Oh, why can't you behave?  
__After all the things you told me  
__And the promises that you gave,  
__Oh, why can't you behave?_"

"Ooh, nice one," Troy acknowledged. "Let me think—"

"Troy, we could do this all day. I'd _love_ to do this all day. But we have to get up." Gabby gave him a quick, affectionate kiss on the nose. "C'mon. Let me up."

With a put-upon sigh, Troy did as he was told. Gabby got to her feet and sauntered across the room towards her ensuite bathroom. Troy watched her go, admiring her long legs. "Man, do you look good in my clothes," he mused aloud. Gabby was wearing only an oversized white T-shirt with a large red exclamation point on the front. Once upon a time, that shirt had belonged to Troy.

Gabby paused for a moment at her bathroom door and zapped Troy with a flirty smile. "Man, do you look good out of them."

Troy was rendered absolutely speechless. By the time he realized he was actually gaping, Gabby had shut the door behind her.

Shaking his head ruefully, Troy rolled out of bed and stood, hitching his sweatpants up from where they'd slid down his hips. He fetched yesterday's clothes from the dryer downstairs. If he hadn't left them there all night the jeans and button-down shirt would probably be fine to wear, but he had so they weren't; both were horrifically wrinkled. Grumbling under his breath, Troy got the iron and ironing board from the linen closet in the hallway and set them up in Gabriella's bedroom.

As Troy laid his jeans out on the ironing board, Gabriella started singing in the shower.

"_Amazing grace, how sweet the sound  
__That saved a child like me.  
__I once was lost, but now am found;  
__Was blind, but now I see._"

Sometimes Troy forgot that Gabriella had started singing before she'd met him. Though she'd always been too afraid to solo, Gabby had loved singing in different church choirs as she and her mother moved around the country.

"_'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,  
__And grace my fears relieved.  
__How precious did that grace appear  
__The hour I first believed._"

Smiling, Troy finished ironing his jeans, folded them so they'd crease properly, and put them on the bed. Gabriella launched herself into the song's chorus again, singing an alto harmony this time. Troy started on his shirt.

"_When we've been there ten thousand years,  
__Bright shining as the sun,  
__We've no less days to sing God's praise  
__Than when we first begun._"

The shower switched off. Gabriella kept singing, now a wordless soprano harmony. Troy finished ironing his shirt and draped it carefully over the ironing board so he could put his undershirt on first. The bathroom door creaked open and Gabriella sidled sheepishly out with her towel tucked around her. "Forgot my clothes," she said, blushing.

"You don't hear me complaining," Troy said, and got a brighter blush and a mock-glare in reply. While Gabriella dithered in front of her closet, Troy slipped into the bathroom to exchange his sweatpants for his clean boxers. She was still dithering when he came out. Amused, Troy tugged his jeans on and then came to stand at Gabby's side. "Well?"

"I have nothing to wear!" Gabby agonized.

Troy stared. "Gabby – you and Taylor must shop more than the entire cheerleading squad put together. You have a _ton_ of clothes."

"Don't be such a _boy_, Troy." Half-heartedly, Gabby lifted the sleeve of a light-pink blouse. Troy knew she'd look pretty in it.

"Why don't you wear that?"

"I don't know…"

"It'll look really nice on you."

Gabby cast an amused glance Troy's way. "Now what makes you say that?"

_Pink is a really good color on you_, though certainly true, was a little too, well, Ryan for Troy to say, so instead he said, "Everything looks really nice on you," which was equally true and had the added benefit of making Gabby blush – again – and flutter her eyelashes.

"Troy…"

"Come on, just try it," Troy said, taking the shirt off its hanger.

Gabby sighed. "Fine, fine." She picked out pants, too, and then went to her dresser for her underwear. Troy got a glimpse of something pastel blue and lacy before Gabriella hid it primly in the folds of her pants. Considering that only the night before Troy had gotten considerably more than a glimpse of something similarly lacy on Gabriella herself, this modesty seemed quirky, but Troy thought it would probably be best not to comment.

As soon as she was safely in the bathroom Gabby started humming "Amazing Grace" again. Troy smiled to himself and shrugged his shirt on, and as he buttoned it a stray thought breezed by: _This is what it will be like when we're married_. Troy's smile broadened, and it wasn't until he was finger-combing his hair in front of Gabriella's mirror that his mind caught up with itself.

_Married_?

The bathroom door opened, and Gabby stepped out. "Okay, Troy, I need you to tell me the truth about this outfit." When Troy didn't answer – didn't even look up – Gabriella frowned slightly. "Hey, Wildcat. You alive in there?"

Troy blinked and shook his head. "Huh?"

Gabby tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear and came to stand at Troy's side. "You looked pretty far away."

"… I was," Troy said dazedly.

"Where'd you go?" Gabby asked.

"I don't know," Troy said. "Just… weird thoughts, I guess."

Gabriella slid her arms around Troy's waist. "Good weird or bad weird?"

Troy looked down into her big brown eyes and let the affection in her gaze warm him. "Good. Definitely good."

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Troy and Gabriella arrived at Kelsi's with time to spare and had an unhurried breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and fruit before retreating to the piano. The trio ran through the songs for audition twice, just to get a feel for them.

"These are good songs you picked," Kelsi commented after Troy and Gabby's duet.

"Do you think so?" Gabby asked, pleased. "It took us a while to decide…"

"Definitely," said Kelsi. "Especially the duet. If you want to rehearse again before Thursday, maybe we could come up with a little bit of choreography. Nothing flashy," she added when Troy made a face. "Just a little something to make the song even more… intimate. Darbus would get a kick out of that."

"Thanks, Kelsi," Troy said. "I don't know when we'd squeeze another rehearsal in, though – maybe after school today, or before school on Thursday? I've got practices all day again on Wednesday."

"We'll work something out," Gabriella said confidently. "You really think we sound all right, Kels?"

"Oh, yeah," Kelsi said. "Besides, it's not like you've got that much competition."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?

"Oh my gosh – haven't you heard? About Sharpay and Ryan?"

Troy and Gabriella both leaned closer, intrigued. "Heard what?" Troy asked.

Kelsi's doe-like eyes grew even wider, and her grin acquired a slightly evil twist. "Well," she said in confidential tones, "Sharpay went to sign them up for pairs auditions… and Ryan wouldn't let her."

"You're kidding," Troy said incredulously.

"Cross my heart," Kelsi said. "Ryan said that they were getting a little old to be playing couples in school musicals, and that he wanted to 'find himself'."

"He wants to what?"

"Find himself. Discover the artist within. He signed himself up for singles auditions."

"Huh." Troy blinked. "That's… new and different."

"Sharpay is _not_ going to be fun to be around today," Gabriella said.

"Right. Because any other day she's just a _joy_," Kelsi said caustically. "You're right, though, Gabriella. And she'll have it out for you guys especially, since you _are_ trying out for pairs. You're gonna want to step lightly, the next couple of days."

Troy heaved a sigh. "I'm dodging my dad in the gym, and now Sharpay in class. Is there _anywhere_ in the school that's safe for me?"

Gabriella smiled. "Your locker? The boys' bathroom?"

Kelsi giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth when Troy turned to scowl at her.

"Great. Just great," he said. The girls both burst into laughter at his sour expression. "That's fine. Go ahead and laugh. You'll get yours."

"Ooh, careful, Kelsi," Gabriella cheerfully. "Looks like this Wildcat has claws!"

"Well, I've got something that might cheer you up a little, Troy," Kelsi said, shuffling her sheet music. "Where'd I put it? Oh." From the thick stack of paper she withdrew three or four pages stapled together. "Here we go. It's for you, too, Gabriella. I wrote it during vacation."

"You wrote this? For us especially?" Troy asked, flattered.

" 'Favorite Adventure'," Gabriella read aloud. "Wow, Kels. That is so sweet!"

"It's not my usual," Kelsi said. She sounded a little sheepish. "It's not anything like 'What I've Been Looking For'. I've been writing a lot of music since _Twinkle Towne_, and none of it comes out like I expect it to."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Troy said, skimming over the pages Kelsi had given him. "Kelsi, this looks… Well…" He trailed off as he read the lyrics. "Do we have time to try this now? Real quick?"

He looked up in time to catch the full brunt of the brilliant smile Gabriella sent his way. Troy smiled back a little helplessly and almost didn't hear Kelsi's assent.

"Sure we have time! We don't need to leave for another twenty minutes." Kelsi moved her pile of paper to the side and gestured for Troy to put 'Favorite Adventure' in front of her. Gabby crowded up against Troy's side and slipped a slender arm low around his waist. Troy did the same to her, twisting his fingers into one of the empty belt loops on her pants. "This would really sound better on the guitar, I think," Kelsi said, pushing her glasses up her nose, "but since we're here anyway…" She shrugged. "Ready?"

The song began with a gentle, sleepy introduction. Troy couldn't help but be reminded of Gabriella in bed this morning, and felt his face heat a little as the girl cuddled against him began to sing.

"_There you are;  
__your beauty consoles me.  
__I've gone far,  
__and I almost didn't find you—  
__and I almost lived without you.  
__There is nothing in this world I'd rather do  
__than live in you._"

Gabriella sighed as she finished the verse, and cast a contented look up at Troy through her eyelashes. Troy swallowed and, with difficulty, turned his attention to the music.

"_Here we go,  
__our favorite adventure.  
__You should know:  
__I was never more complete,  
__and I never thought I'd see  
__the meaning of my life wrapped in you  
__next to me._"

It was a little high for Troy's low tenor range, but he managed to complete his verse without embarrassing himself. There was a brief bridge before the third and last verse; here Troy closed his eyes and lifted his voice in a wordless riff, coating easily over the busier notes Kelsi was playing. The moment was made perfect as Gabriella began a simple line of her own, entwining her voice with his.

The last time Troy and Gabriella had sung like this – exploring a brand new song together, for no other reason than to enjoy it – had been the first time they'd sung 'What I've Been Looking For,' when they hadn't even known they were auditioning. Back then, Troy and Gabby hadn't been going out; they'd barely been brave enough to talk to one another in front of their friends. All Troy had known then was that he had found a girl who did crazy things to his head and his heart. Now Troy could only think of the two of them curled up in bed this morning, warm and calm and happy, and wonder how on earth Kelsi had known to write this song.

The last verse they would sing together. Troy took Gabriella's free hand in his own and held it to his chest as they began in harmony:

"_If you ever fear  
__someday we might lose this,  
__come back here  
__to this moment that will last.  
__Time can go so fast  
__when everything's exactly where it's at  
__its very best._"

There was room for another riff as the song wound down. Troy and Gabriella sang this looking into each other's eyes, pressed together from knee to chest, hands clutched between them. The last chord died away, but Troy couldn't stop staring down at Gabby. She blinked her big brown eyes at him, her expression intent but not unhappy. Troy had seen that look before – in fact, he was pretty sure he was wearing the same one at the moment – and thought he knew what it meant.

Troy was a boy who took this kind of thing seriously, so he'd stopped himself from blurting out "I love you!" like an idiot back in February, when he'd first really figured it out. Certainly he knew he _liked_ Gabriella more than he'd ever liked anyone else in his life; but, he'd thought rationally, he was only sixteen! Didn't everyone think they were in love when they were sixteen? Chad and Taylor had only taken three weeks to say they loved one another, and it hadn't seemed to make any appreciable difference in how they treated one another, except maybe they'd had sex sooner than Troy had thought they would. Troy had decided that he wanted it to _mean_ something when he said "I love you." And – this was the part that really made him nervous – he'd wanted to be fairly sure that Gabriella would say it back.

But… If this was love – and what else could this feeling possibly be? – Troy was certain there was nothing to be nervous about. This was warmth and music and kindness and adoration and familiarity and lust, and it was _easy_. The flash of the future that Troy had seen earlier that morning suddenly seemed, if not something to start planning, at least something to look forward to without fear.

Gabriella's beautiful face, turned up at him like he was the only thing in the universe worth looking at, was irresistible, so Troy gave in and kissed it. It was just a single kiss between her eyebrows, but Gabriella sighed and leaned into him as Troy let his lips linger there.

"Um… guys?"

Kelsi's voice was hesitant. Unhurried, Troy turned to his friend. She was perched expectantly on the piano bench, looking up at them with a wistful expression.

"Kelsi," Troy said, "That was…" Where had his words gone?

"—Amazing," Gabriella said helpfully. "It's perfect, Kelsi. You really… Just for us?"

"Just for you," Kelsi said, beaming at their praise. "I've got some other love songs on the back burner, but this one is special."

"No kidding," Troy said. "Honest, Kels. We love it."

"I was a little worried," Kelsi confided.

"Why, because it's not an anthem?" Gabriella asked. "You're a wonderful musician, Kelsi, and it's cool that you're trying some different stuff."

Kelsi smiled gratefully. "I mean, you wouldn't sing it in a musical. Or a _Musicale_," she added with an expressive roll of her eyes. "But, well… You _might_ sing it at the Espresso Shot downtown during their Young Artists' Showcase next Friday night. Maybe."

Troy stared, surprised out of his post-love-song lassitude. "Wait, what?"

"I've heard of that!" Gabby exclaimed. "Oh, Kelsi, they picked you?"

Kelsi, blushing a furious red, nodded. "I sent in recordings of you guys in _Twinkle Towne_ – I hope you don't mind – and they just called me back last week! They've got a half an hour, just for me!"

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Gabriella broke away from Troy to give Kelsi an enthusiastic hug. "Of course we'll sing, won't we, Troy?"

"Um, sure," Troy said hesitantly, "once someone tells me what's going on!"

"There's this coffeehouse downtown," Kelsi explained. "It's called the Espresso Shot. They've got a stage in the back, and on Friday nights they have this thing called the Young Artists' Showcase, where different singer-songwriters can perform their stuff. Or, in my case, have my friends perform my stuff, since I don't really sing."

"I've heard they're really picky," Gabriella said, smug on Kelsi's behalf.

"They are, actually," Kelsi said. "If they can't find anyone good enough they just leave the time slots empty, or get a DJ instead. I've been going since freshman year, but I didn't actually get the nerve to audition until you guys came along."

"Why didn't you say anything back when you sent the recordings in?" Gabriella asked.

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Kelsi said with a shrug. "I honestly didn't think I'd get picked."

"Well, we'll definitely sing for you," Gabriella said. "Right, Troy?"

"Of course," Troy said, a little overwhelmed. "But out of curiosity, Kelsi – what would you have done if we'd said no?"

"Don't worry, 'Favorite Adventure' would still be yours," Kelsi told him. "But I've got other songs, and I've got some friends in the Drama Club and in the school chorus who'd help me out. You guys are definitely the best singers I know, though – you're my first choice, all the way."

"Thanks, Kelsi." Troy glanced over the music for 'Favorite Adventure', and felt his lingering apprehension melt away as he read the lyrics. "I still can't get over that you really wrote this for _us_."

"Oh, yeah," Kelsi said. "I mean, not just as a bribe to get you to sing for me. I wrote it thinking of you two."

"It's perfect, isn't it, Gabby?"

"Absolutely," Gabriella agreed.

"I'm glad you think so," Kelsi commented wryly, "because there's more where that came from."

"How much more?" Troy asked.

"They're giving me a whole half an hour!" Kelsi told them. "We can do a couple of _Twinkle Towne_ songs, of course, but I figure we can fit anywhere from five to seven songs into a half an hour. Maybe – if you guys have some time this weekend – we could practice a few new songs? And we can practice for your callback songs too, if you want."

Gabby laughed. "Kelsi, callbacks aren't even announced til Monday."

Kelsi gave an unladylike snort. "Oh, please. As if you two aren't a sure thing for callbacks!"

"C'mon, Gabby," Troy said, and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "You know she's right."

With a sigh and a smile, Gabriella conceded, "I guess a little rehearsal wouldn't hurt. Just in case."

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FIN

Chapter Five

first posted September 3, 2007  
(it's my birthday today! I'm twenty! I'm too old for HSM, but I won't let that stop me!)

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A _High School Musical 2_ party at the drive-in for **bexmyxescape, butterflygoodbye, carito06, ChasingGhosts, Chellig, chuppachup, countrymusicgal89, Cupcakes.xx, dancer2319, dancerlittle, FortuneCookie101, HSMandChelseaFCfan, idolized, Jewel2502, kathyt222, KayleeMae, Lalalene., limissme2007, LizzieRokasGermaine, Megarose, MPPandHSMroxmysox, soccerfriends118, sweet-virginia-sparks, Treewriter, troyella is my life, True Wildcat, xx Live in Love, xYouAreTheMusicInMex, Zac.Luffs.Nessa,** and **zanessafan19**. All you reviewers are more lovely than you know, and your opinions, suggestions and encouragement are what keep me a-writing. So thank you.

**LizzieRokasGermaine** gets an extra cookie for guessing four out of five of my casting choices for _Grease_ correctly, and in an upcoming chapter (most likely Chapter Seven) she shall have a cameo! **fictacious-thejunkie** did a wonderful job as beta for this chapter, and is President of the (as-yet-unformed) Fan Club for Troy's Nipple Ring. To lessen the stress of these responsibilities, she gets a dish of Zeke's special crème brulée. She is also a wonderful writer, so now that you're done with this chapter, skip on over and read her stuff. That too goes for **xBREAKiNGFREE**, my beta for Chapters Three and Four.

SONG CREDITS: "Sleep All Day" is sung by Jason Mraz. "Why Can't You Behave" was written by Cole Porter, and is from the musical _Kiss Me, Kate!_ (My favorite version is sung by Ella Fitzgerald.) "Amazing Grace" is an American spiritual. The version Gabriella sings is the one I used to sing with my chorus, arranged by our conductor, Francisco Nunez. "Favorite Adventure (The Wedding Song)" is sung by K's Choice.

My opinion poll for this chapter – how am I doing writing Troy? I've come to terms with my Gabriella characterization; our favorite Wildcat is next. The Troy of this fic is based off of the Troy of HSM1 and my own imaginings. Don't get me wrong, I dearly loved HSM2, but that Troy is quite different from my own. Do you buy my Troy as a teenaged boy? (Having never been one, and having known very few straight ones worth talking to, I'm kind of crafting Troy according to wishful thinking.)

Last chapter, I said auditions would be _this_ chapter. As you can see, I totally, totally lied to you and I am very, very sorry. This fic has taken on a mind of its own – certain scenes demand to be written and certain characters demand screentime, and what can I do? Current projections put auditions at Chapter Seven.

I know what Troy and Gabriella will be singing for auditions, but my mind's not yet made up on Ryan or Sharpay. Suggestions are more than welcome.

Alan, I admire your pluck. Now, as to your singing… That's a wonderful tie you're wearing!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Be Who We Are ( 6/? )

Author: Amazon Ziti

Fandom: High School Musical

Pairings: Troy/Gabriella

Rating: Light R to be safe.

Disclaimer: I own only my plotline.

Summary: Troy and Gabriella hold up traffic. Troy and Chad try to find some common ground.

Word Count: About 4,500 words (14 pages), not counting Author's Notes or lyrics.

Notes: Only the first half of this chapter has been beta-read, so any tomatoes should be thrown squarely at me. Also – sorry for the delay, guys! Thanks for your patience!

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After Troy and Gabriella agreed to sing Kelsi's songs a week from Friday, the three of them walked to East High together. Kelsi was a talker when she was among friends, and maintained a steady stream of gossip, potential song lyrics, and staging ideas the entire way, leaving Troy and Gabby free to hold hands and exchange flirtatious glances with each other. Troy liked to think of this as practicing telepathy; he and Gabriella had been good at communicating without words from the moment they'd met.

They arrived at homeroom when Troy was in the middle of suggesting (with a tilt of his head, a slightly raised eyebrow, and a hint of tooth in his smile) what he and Gabby might be doing right now if she hadn't insisted they get up and dressed this morning. Gabriella had responded with her best "Not here! Not now!" wide eyes and pinked cheeks, which had disappointed Troy until she offered a silent invitation for a rooftop lunch, just the two of them.

"Oh, God," Chad said loudly, dropping heavily into the seat behind Troy. "It's going to be one of those days, isn't it? You two in lovey-dovey mode is enough to make me gag."

"Hey!" Troy protested.

"Yeah, Chad," Taylor said. She gave her boyfriend a smack upside the head before she sat behind Gabriella. "Instead of mocking Troy for showing some sensitivity, you could take a few pointers, instead."

"Psh! As if!" Chad retorted, and the repartee pretty much descended from there.

Gabriella winced and made a desperate face at Troy.

"It's definitely going to be 'one of those days'," he whispered to her.

"They'll be going at each other all morning," she replied. "You'll be a big, strong man and protect me, right?"

Troy pretended to think this over, then shook his head. "Nope. Every man for himself when it comes to a Chaylor firefight! I suggest you duck and cover, princess."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Great. Just great. Some prince you turned out to be."

"Hey, rescuing the damsel in distress isn't as easy as they make it sound," Troy said cheerfully.

A sudden hush over the classroom made Troy and Gabby pause in their banter and turn around. Sharpay posed in the doorway, bright blue and sparkly, and wearing a different – but no less ridiculous – tiara. She glared viciously at everyone in front of her before barking a short, sharp "What?!"

"Hey, Sharpay," Zeke called bravely from next to Taylor. Troy hissed a breath out between his teeth. Every few weeks, Zeke would muster his mettle and try, once again, to thaw the Ice Queen. So far it had never worked, and usually ended badly. Today didn't look like it would be any better, as Sharpay arched an imperious eyebrow in Zeke's direction.

"Disintegrate, baker-man!" she snapped, before huffing to her own desk.

"Ouch," Gabriella muttered.

"Don't mind her." Ryan entered homeroom with a surprising amount of pep in his step for someone who ought to have lost all his toes to frostbite by now. "She's been like that since yesterday afternoon. The best thing is just to let it roll right off you."

"Hey, man," Troy said. "How's it going?" Troy didn't usually talk to Ryan much, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the other boy – and no small amount of admiration for his defiance of Sharpay.

Ryan looked grateful for the friendly gesture. "It's going all right. I'm going to take a flying leap to conclusions here, and guess that you all have heard I signed up for singles auditions."

"You are a braver man than I would be, dude," Chad said.

"No lie," Troy agreed. "If you need protection from the mob hit she's probably taken out on you, come and find us. We'll do what we can."

Ryan grinned. "Aw, thanks! He's sweet," he added to Gabriella.

Gabby mock-scowled. "To you, maybe," she said.

"He's not a damsel," Troy protested. "He doesn't count!"

"Right," Gabby drawled. "But really, Ryan – it's cool you're trying something new, on your own."

"Well, I saw that you two had signed up for singles, and it kind of inspired me," Ryan admitted. "And it got me thinking – I'm getting way too old to play Danny to her Sandy. Besides, if I don't get a part, I'll help with costume design. I've got too much fashion sense for one man anyway." With a wink, he adjusted the set of his white-and-gold beret (it matched his shoes, dress shirt, sunglasses and messenger bag) and sauntered over to his seat next to Zeke. Troy, Gabriella, Chad and Taylor watched incredulously as Ryan patted the basketballer on the arm reassuringly, ignoring the death-glare he got from his sister.

"Huh." Chad laid a hand flat against the desk, and then against the wall. "Temperature's fine in here – I could have sworn Hell had frozen over, but I guess I was wrong."

"Wait – what was that?" Taylor exclaimed, pointing towards the window. Chad, Troy and Gabriella twisted to look, but saw nothing. Taylor smirked at their uncomprehending stares and said, "Sorry, I could have sworn I just saw a pig flying past—"

Chad let out a theatrical groan. "Oh. Oh, that was bad."

"No worse than your Hell-has-frozen-over quip," Taylor rejoined sharply, and with that, they were at it again.

Deciding it would probably for the best just to ignore them, Troy turned back to Gabriella. She was studying him, a fond smile on her face. "What?"

"Ryan was right, you are sweet," she said, and laughed at the face Troy made. "No, really. He's never been all that nice to us, but you were nice to him."

Troy shrugged. "Anybody would have done the same thing."

"No, they wouldn't. But you did. It's a compliment, Troy. Say 'thank you'."

"I was just trying to do what you usually do when I give you a compliment," Troy said. "You know, brush it off and act like I'm nothing special."

"Troy!"

"Gabby!" Troy met Gabriella's exasperated look with an equal-caliber one of his own.

Gabby was the first to break eye contact, with a long-suffering sigh and a martyred twist to her mouth. "Obviously there is little to be gained from this argument, since you refuse to be reasoned with," she said with dignity.

"Obviously," Troy agreed.

"So I'm going to change the subject now, before you make me blush again." Gabriella cleared her throat. "So – how 'bout them Wildcats?"

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On Tuesdays, second period was free, after Ms. Darbus' English class. Now Troy walked Gabriella to the Chem lab, where she and Taylor and the rest of the Chem Club would spend a gleeful hour discussing in depth stuff Troy hadn't the slightest hope of understanding.

"Have a good workout, basketball guy," Gabriella told Troy. They stood in the Chem lab doorway in a loose embrace; Gabriella's hands rested on Troy's upper arms, while Troy's had found purchase perilously low on Gabriella's back.

"It's just me and Chad today," Troy said, inching his hands down. Gabby wriggled a little, but the pink of her cheeks told Troy it wasn't a bad kind of wriggle at all. "Since it's a free, Dad's not in charge, so we gave the guys the time off – it's the least we could do, after they were all run into the ground yesterday."

"Hey." Gabby frowned a little and poked Troy in the chest. "You were drilled to a pulp too, as I recall."

"Yeah, but I figure it's at least partially my fault, since it was because of me Dad was so pissed off." Troy shrugged. "And Chad wants to talk through some new plays. It's his first week as Captain, and I think he might be wondering what he got himself into when he accepted."

"It's nice of you to help him out," Gabriella said. She spread her right hand above Troy's heart, which sped up accordingly both at her sheer closeness and at the pressure on his pierced nipple. "Just – don't stretch yourself too thin, okay? I know you're loyal to the guys, and I love that, but listen, Troy." Gabby tilted her head up and fixed Troy with a solemn stare. "You're not responsible for what your dad does, okay? He might be upset with you, but that doesn't give him the right to take it out on the team, and even if he doesn't realize that, I think the team does. They know not to blame you for this. You proved yourself to them already, when you were Captain."

Troy sighed and tugged Gabriella even closer, sliding the tips of his fingers into the back pockets of her khakis. His thumbs snuck under the hem of her shirt to touch smooth skin. Troy felt Gabby shiver a little and smiled. "I know. It's just that… I guess it won't be that easy to take of my 'Captain' hat. Chad's in charge now, but I'm still set to do all the worrying."

Gabby's lips curled up at the corners. Troy wanted to kiss that smile, but Gabriella was talking again. "You're such a good guy, Troy," she said, and leant forward for a moment, resting her forehead on his shoulder. With a brief hum of contentment she withdrew again, dropping a sweet kiss at the hollow of Troy's throat. "If your Master Plan of Stealth and Avoidance doesn't work and your dad catches up to you and gives you a hard time, just remember that. I'm proud of you." Her eyes shone with admiration.

Troy gave up and kissed her, yanking Gabriella tight against him. Gabby squeaked at his possessive grip on her behind through her back pockets, but didn't protest; instead she shifted onto her tiptoes to better press the softness of her torso against the hardness of his. The fingers of her right hand dug into Troy's chest, while the left tangled in the hair at the nape of Troy's neck. Gabriella's mouth was slick and generous, opening for Troy when he demanded it, engaging but not fighting him. God, this girl was amazing. Troy wished fervently for a horizontal surface.

"Jesus Christ, will you guys get a room?"

The no-nonsense tones of Taylor McKessie were enough to jerk any guy, even one as crazy in love as Troy, away from a between-classes makeout session. Troy stifled a put-upon sigh as he lifted his mouth from Gabby's and reluctantly loosened his arms enough to let her touch her heels to the floor again. Gabriella relaxed her fingers where they threatened to leave bruises on Troy's pecs, but didn't pull away. "Sorry, Tay," she said, but her gaze was only for Troy.

Taylor snorted. "Yeah, right. C'mon, break it up, I need to get into the lab."

Belatedly Troy realized they were blocking the doorway. "Oh. Right." He tried to look away from Gabriella's gorgeous face, but she was biting her lower lip and Troy was possessed with the need to do that for her. He tried to lean forward, but was stopped midway by a violent poke in the side. "Ow! Geez, McKessie, chill out."

"Look, I already walked Chad to the gym and came back. You guys have had your nookie time. Gabriella? Let's go."

"Going," Gabriella said, and snatched one more quick peck before disentangling herself from Troy's arms.

Troy watched with amused fondness as Gabby tugged at the hem of her shirt and reached a hand up to check her neat ponytail, remembering now that she ought to be embarrassed by their uncommonly intense public display of affection. "You're fine, Gabby," Troy said, earning himself a grateful look.

"Yeah, if people had seen you guys, trust me, you'd hear them catcalling," Taylor said helpfully. She got a halfhearted glare for her trouble. "What?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Nothing. See you later, Troy?" She reached a hand out for him, which he took and squeezed.

"You bet. Lunch, right?"

A quick upward glance and a hopeful smile confirmed their rooftop reservation for two. "Lunch."

Troy grinned and heard his heart shout, I love you! …But this wasn't the time. Not with Taylor, Duchess of Cynicism, there to spice up the moment. It would have to wait.

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The locker room was almost empty. Troy slunk past his dad's office to get to the basketball team's lockers, where he changed into a practice jersey and shorts before sneaking back out of the locker room and into the gym.

Chad was there, practicing free throws with a scowl on his face. He was making almost every basket, so Troy knew the scowl wasn't due to his game, but to something else: Taylor? Coach Bolton? The wrong juice box in his lunch bag? Cautiously, Troy ventured a "Hey, dude."

"Hey." A few low dribbles, then another basket.

"You look, um, upset."

"Give the man a prize." Chad took another shot and jogged to the basket to catch the ball as it came down. "Hey. Troy."

"Yeah?" Troy gestured for the ball, which Chad tossed to him with no small amount of force. Troy grunted as he caught it.

"Does Gabriella—" Chad cut himself off, muttering under his breath, and jogged over to the rack by the bleachers to pick up another ball.

"Does Gabriella what?"

"Never mind. Go ahead," Chad said, with a nod towards the hoop. Troy ducked into his dad's fake-and-break move, but Chad just stood there.

"You know, this works best when you participate."

"Sorry."

That was a half-assed sorry at best. "Seriously, man. What's up?"

Chad fidgeted with his basketball briefly before talking. "Okay. Does Gabriella ever, like, expect you to know stuff – like, read her mind? And then get totally mad when you don't because you're not psychic? And then drag you around for a day or a week and still not tell you what's going on? And then—"

Troy interrupted before Chad could pass out from lack of oxygen. "No."

Chad stared, panting. "What?"

"No, she doesn't. What's this about, specifically?"

"Taylor's mad because I haven't asked her to the prom yet."

"Oh." Troy considered this. On the one hand, Prom had only officially been announced the day before, not that Troy had let that stop him. On the other… "Wait – you know why she's mad and you still haven't asked her to go?"

"Psh! Yeah, right! The little rant she just treated me to didn't exactly inspire my warm and fuzzy feelings, Troy." Chad's scowl deepened. "I hope she's as pissed off as I am."

"I hate to break it to you, man, but I don't think she is. Gabriella and I just ran into her and her snark levels weren't any higher than usual."

"God, that girl drives me nuts sometimes!" Chad threw his ball towards the opposite end of the gym. It bounced viciously until it hit the far wall, then reversed course until it finally rolled to a slow stop about halfway back.

"Um. Did you ever think about maybe talking to Taylor?" Troy asked. "Because from what Gabby's told me, Taylor thinks that the way you guys argue is, like, friendly banter."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Well – I couldn't tell it bothered you this much. You two have always bitched at each other. Gabby and I thought it might be some sort of weird mating ritual or something." Troy had to struggle to keep a straight face.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Never let me hear the words 'mating ritual' come from your mouth ever, ever again, Bolton. You've obviously been spending too much time with your freaky genius girl."

Troy shifted uncomfortably. Something about the way Chad said 'freaky genius girl' reminded him a little too much of the way his father talked about Gabriella – like he was kind of hoping Troy would break up with her already.

Chad had always been perfectly friendly to Gabriella. Even before the Championship, though Chad had complained about her to Troy, he'd been polite to her face. Troy had expected that once the Championship game was over – and particularly once Chad got a science-nerd girlfriend of his own – Chad might chill out and get to know and like Gabriella. The other guys on the team certainly had. But although Chad could socialize just fine with Troy's girlfriend when he had to (in classes, at lunch, and at the occasional house party), they'd never actually become friends.

Considering what Troy had been hoping to talk to Chad about, this might make things a little awkward.

Troy coughed. "So. Dude. Um, speaking of spending lots of time with my girlfriend…"

Chad gave a disinterested "Uh-huh" and went to fetch another basketball. Troy followed.

"Do you ever think about, you know, the future?"

"According to Taylor, my lack of prom-askage proves that no, I do not."

"I don't mean like the prom," Troy said. "I mean like what you guys are going to do over the summer, or how you'll apply to college."

"Um, no," Chad said impatiently. "Who knows if we'll still even be going out by the summer!"

"…Oh." Chad wasn't giving him a lot to work with, here.

"Wait. Are you saying you're thinking about that stuff?" Chad sounded incredulous. Troy felt the same way about his best friend: how could he not be thinking about all this?

"Well, yeah."

"You've talked to Gabriella about it? You guys have been making plans?"

How was this a big deal? If Chad was this weirded out by Troy's thinking ahead to the summer and senior year, Troy seriously doubted he'd react well to hearing about Troy's early-morning thoughts of domesticity and marriage. "Yeah, we've made plans. We've done some scouting around for summer jobs together. If you want to get anything good, you have to apply early."

"It's not even April yet!"

"April, May, June… Oh, look, summer!"

Chad glared. "I bet this was her idea."

The conversation was not supposed to go this way. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean you're all about Gabriella all the time!"

"That's not fair."

"Geez, you even sound like her."

"Hello! I'm for the team, just like I've always been! I'm your best friend, just like I've always been!"

"If you were really for the team, you wouldn't have given up the Captaincy."

"I gave it up because I thought that was what was best for me and for the team!" Troy ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Dude, I love the game. You know that." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chad give a grudging nod. "I love the team. I even love you, in a very straight, strictly platonic, totally brotherly way."

Chad softened enough for another nod and an embarrassed "Thanks."

"But I also love performing." Troy took a deep breath. "And I really love Gabriella. And having Dad and now you on my back for trying to do my best by everybody is not making any of this easier for me!"

Chad huffed. "Sorry, man."

"I just thought you were on my side. Especially after you were so cool about the Captaincy thing over vacation, and when you said you wanted to try out for the spring musical." Troy gave Chad a halfhearted punch on the arm. "You can't act one way and secretly mean something else and expect me to get it. Weren't you just saying how you hate it when Taylor does that to you?"

"Yeah." Chad took a deep breath. "Yeah. Sorry. I think I might be a little more freaked out about being Captain than I thought."

"I'm not throwing you to the wolves, man. You know I'll help you out when you need it."

"Yeah, I know," Chad said. "It's just… I got a 'pep talk' from Coach after practice last night. That didn't exactly put me in a great mood."

"Yeah, he's good at putting the fear of God and Coach into you, huh?" Troy said. "Hey, I'm sorry about him."

"It's not your fault." It looked like physically hurt Chad to say as much. Troy decided to be gracious.

"I'm sorry anyway."

"Mm."

"So…"

"So." Chad gave a Troy a speculative look. "Summer jobs with the girlfriend, huh?"

"Yup," Troy said. "There were a couple of day camps we applied to – counselors and kitchen jobs, you know? But the nicest jobs we've gone for so far have been at the Lava Springs Country Club."

"I've heard of Lava Springs," Chad said. "It's supposed to be really swanky." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No lie! The people who go there are serious money." Troy shrugged. "But then, the jobs there pay better than anywhere else."

"What kind of jobs do they have open?"

"Oh, now he wants to think about the future!" Troy said with a laugh. "I've got a brochure at home. I'll bring it tomorrow."

"Cool." Chad hesitated, then said, "Come on, let's just sit. We're not gonna get anything done before the end of the period."

"Sure." Troy dropped his basketball onto the rack and followed Chad to the first row of bleachers. Both boys sat, bracing elbows on knees, and stared out into the dimly lit gym.

"Hey." Chad nudged Troy's shoulder. "You think ahead a lot?"

"I didn't used to," Troy said. "Before Gabriella, I mean. But now I kind of do."

"The most I've thought about college is worrying about my SAT scores," Chad said flatly, "and that's just because Taylor's on my back about it all the time."

Troy wasn't entirely sure what to say to that; he and Gabriella had done a lot of speculating about college. They'd each drawn up a list of schools they thought they might like, and compared them. There had been several the two of them had in common, and though their number-one schools were different – Troy favored the University of Albuquerque, and Gabriella was set on St. John's College in Santa Fe – they had been pleased to find those schools were little more than an hour's drive away from each other.

"Do you ever think at all about what you might be doing in five, ten years?" Troy asked.

Chad snorted. "Nah. Playing for the NBA, maybe? I don't know. You?"

Marrying Gabriella, Troy thought fiercely, but instead said, "I used to think it might be basketball, but now…" He shook his head. "It was so surprising to find something new that I liked – and that I was good at!"

"The singing thing?" Chad asked despairingly.

"The singing thing. And it made me think – what else is out there that I never even thought about? That's what I want to go to college for. To find out the different things I might want to do."

"That's kind of deep." Chad patted Troy on the back.

The boys sat in silence for a long moment. Come on, dude. Don't be such a wuss. Just say it. Troy took a deep breath and said quickly, "When you think about maybe the NBA, you ever think… maybe Taylor?"

That surprised a high-pitched noise of disbelief from Troy's best friend. "What!"

"When you think about where you're heading, do you see Taylor there, too?"

A brief, incredulous laugh. "Um, no. We are not that serious."

Troy wondered if Taylor knew that. "Oh."

"What, like you think about Gabriella like that?" Chad laughed again, and then stared when Troy pointedly didn't react. "Oh shit. You think about Gabriella like that."

Helplessly, Troy spread his hands. "Yeah."

"Holy crap." Chad made no effort to hide his astonishment. "What – when – how –"

"Chill out, man," Troy said, a little irritated. Was it so hard to believe that what he and Gabby had was real?

"Sorry," Chad wheezed, not sounding sorry at all. "It's just – Well." He closed his eyes, clearly trying to collect himself. "What do you… think about?"

Troy searched Chad's expression for any hint of ridicule, but could find none. "College. We want to go together if we can, or at least go to schools near each other."

"You've talked about this with her?" More incredulity. This was getting old fast.

"Yeah." Troy steeled himself. "But that's not all."

"Of course it's not." Chad released a long-suffering sigh. "What, you want to marry her?"

"Yes."

Silence. Troy bent to rest his forehead in his hands and waited for Chad to say something. Finally his friend murmured, "You're serious."

Just as softly, Troy said, "Yes."

"Dude. We're sixteen."

"I know."

Chad's voice was climbing in both volume and pitch. "You've only been going out with her for two months. You've only known her for three."

"I know."

"You haven't even done it yet!" Chad delivered this line as though it could wrap up their argument altogether. The only thing it did was make Troy mad.

"What difference does that make?"

"I…" Chad trailed off, his unfocused gaze directed towards the far side of the gym.

"I don't want to get married now," Troy said, trying to ignore how angry he was. "Definitely not til we're done with college. I know she wouldn't want to get into that before then. And I'm not going to propose to her now. But in a few years, I will." Troy had never said any of this aloud before – he'd barely let himself think it – but as he spoke he heard his words become more certain, and he knew everything he was saying was true.

"You really mean it."

"I really, really do."

Chad shook his head.

"I know you don't like Gabriella that much." It pained Troy to say it, and that feeling only grew worse when Chad didn't protest. "But you don't know her that well, either. She's amazing, Chad. She's the most amazing girl. I'm serious about her, and I mean it when I say I love her, and I'm gonna tell her I love her, and so I need you to do me a favor and try, okay? Try and see what I see. 'Cause she's not going anywhere."

Chad let a long, long moment pass before he finally said, "I'll try."

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FIN

Chapter Six

first posted September 28, 2007

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Tragically, I can't do any significant review replies, thank-yous, or Author's Notes at this point in time, as I am currently lost in the depths of the Colorado wilderness and this chapter was actually uploaded by proxy. I do love and appreciate all of you, though, and I promise due credit will be given to everybody when I get back to civilization.

In the meantime, tell me what you think of Chad. I was trying very hard to make him not a bastard but a typical sixteen-year-old boy, Let me know?

Auditions and cameos next chapter. Cheers, everybody!

Mr. Danforth! This is a classroom, not a hockey arena!


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